Blood and Tears
by Pernshinigami
Summary: My first vampire fic, be nice. My first Tyka fic, be nice-er. There is something very wrong with Tyson. What might Sanguinax know about it? Will Ozuma get away with it? yaoi, vampires, mPreg, you have been warned
1. Default Chapter

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Blood and Tears

Notes: This is my first vampire fanfic. Be nice. It is also my first Tyka fic, so be nice-er. I'm still not sure about the "dynamics" of Tyka.

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Prologue

Tyson had gone out to get a breath of fresh air that evening. Everybody had gathered at the mansion that Voltaire had left Kai before he died. The old owner of the Abbey and president of Biovolt had died of heart trouble in the Hague where he'd been imprisoned after the world championships. Ironic that, for figuratively his heart had been what was lacking in his soul. With Voltaire gone, Kai could live in peace.

The blade breakers had moved into the mansion. Kai had thrown a party. All the old crowd had been invited to mark the second anniversary of the Blade Breakers being formed. They were all able to make it, even Zeo and Wyatt. Funny thing though, the Saint Shields hadn't even replied to the invitation.

It had suddenly become too much for Tyson. The social butterfly of the group had come to rest. Kai, understanding the need to be alone, had let Tyson leave the party and go for a walk. Kai and Tyson themselves had finally come to an understanding. They'd been dating in secret for six months so far. They acted like they didn't get along still, because they were unsure of what the other Blade Breakers would think of them if they found out that not only were Kai and Tyson gay, they were dating!

Tyson sighed, taking a sip of the coffee that they'd made. Robert had brought excellent coffee with him. It was a rich, mocha type that energized the soul. Tyson suddenly heard a whoosh of air behind him. He turned around, thinking that perhaps Zeo had followed him. "Zeo…"

"Not Zeo." Said a voice behind him. Tyson whirled. It was Ozuma!

"Oh, Ozuma, did you get our invitation?" Tyson asked. He didn't have time to finish. Somebody, probably Dunga, came up behind him. He felt a cloth pressed over his mouth. Tyson struggled against the full nelson that held him in place, trying to scream. Then Tyson felt the world dissolving around him. Knock out gas!

He woke up later, much later. He was in some kind of darkened room. It was very dark and dim. There wasn't even a light! Then Tyson realized he'd been blindfolded. "Well well well." Tyson, fighting panic, heard Ozuma standing to his right. "I get my revenge after all. Do you have any idea how much I suffered because I failed to capture your bit beasts Tyson?"

Tyson felt somebody coming up to him, standing in front of where he was tied to the wall. "Ozuma let me go! Whatever did I do to you?"

Ozuma didn't answer, but Tyson felt a silky caress going down his cheek, stopping at the juncture between neck and shoulder. He began to tremble. "Soooo much suffering. For a Saint Shield Tyson, there can only be one revenge. I failed to fulfill the one, and lost my freedom because you beat us."

Tyson felt Ozuma sniffing along his neck. "Ozuma… you don't have to do this… back off… we can talk this out…"

"The time for talking is long past." Ozuma said with a soft hiss. With an animaline snarl, Tyson felt something puncture his neck.

Tyson screamed, as he realized that Ozuma meant to kill him, to torture him. It took about five minutes before Tyson felt whatever Ozuma had cut him with withdraw from his neck. He felt a small vial being placed to his lips. "Poor baby, do drink up…" Ozuma taunted.

Tyson, sure that Ozuma meant to poison him next, turned his head away. "No! How do I know that you haven't poisoned it? You already tried to cut my HEAD off!" Tyson said, panic overtaking him.

"It's not poisoned, I tested it myself." Ozuma said silkily, pushing it against Tyson's lips.

Tyson felt Ozuma's hand traveling down his thigh. Tyson shivered, crying out. "Don't touch me you…" Ozuma dumped the vial down Tyson's throat, withdrawing his hand. Tyson coughed, sputtering on the thick liquid that was being poured down his throat. Tyson growled at him. "That was a dirty trick!"

"It worked didn't it?" Ozuma sneered. "Well then, I'll just leave you for your friends to find. Sleep now little one."

Tyson heard Ozuma's footsteps dying away. He heard the murmur of voices not far away. A tenor voice argued bitterly with an alto tenor. A baritone, and then a contralto, added their opinions. The Saint Shields, Tyson realized. They were having a meeting. Obviously, from their tones, Tyson reasoned that whatever Ozuma planned to do to him, the others didn't agree with it.

Tyson shivered, trembling. He felt something wrong, deep inside of him. Something inside of him was changing, and he didn't like the feeling. Tyson slumped, letting the despair take over. There was NO way that he was going to get away until the Saint Shields were finished with him.

Hours could have passed, or days, Tyson was never sure. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming up. Tyson cried out. "Shhh! Don't make such a fuss!" Joseph whispered. "I'm going to get you out of here!"

"Right, and I'm supposed to trust you."

"Darn right you are… look… as Saint Shields we're not supposed to get revenge for anything. For us, there can only be one revenge, the capture and sealment of the sacred bit beasts!"

"How long have they had me?" Tyson asked, as Joseph removed the bandana covering his eyes.

"Overnight." Joseph answered. "Your friends are looking for you. Unfortunately for you, the damage was done already. Ozuma will be punished by the clan for what he's done, but that doesn't change what he did."

"What _did_ he do?" Tyson asked, as Joseph cut the bonds from his feet. Tyson stretched his ankles as Joseph cut the bonds on his hands. Tyson flexed his wrists.

"Can you stand?" Joseph asked worriedly.

Tyson swooned. "I think so…" The world seemed to swirl around him.

"You'd better lean on me, just in case. We're lucky that it's dark out." Joseph said cryptically. "Ozuma is gone for the night."

Tyson shivered. He couldn't stop shaking, and the feeling of wrongness came back on him full force. He leaned on Joseph. They had made it to the bridge when Tyson heard the noise of a familiar motorcycle roaring up behind him. Joseph whirled. Tyson shivered, almost falling over. Tala and Bryan were bearing down on them mounted atop a pair of Honda Goldwings. Tala and Bryan circled around behind them and came to a stop on either side. "Tyson are you okay?" Tala demanded. "We've been looking all over for you. Kai was about to call the police if we couldn't find you!"

"I'm sorry, Tala isn't it?" Joseph asked. "My captain Ozuma went a little wacko and decided to kidnap Tyson. I didn't agree, so I helped him escape, but he's wasted!"

Tala growled at him. "We'll take Tyson back. Thanks for helping out." But Tyson could tell that Tala probably wouldn't trust Joseph from now on. Bryan helped Tyson mount the back seat of Tala's motorcycle. "Hang on tight." Tala warned. He pulled out a cellphone. "Kai, it's Tala, we've found Tyson and we're coming back…." Pause. "Yeah, some kid with green hair and some kind of old fashioned gold and red uniform. No I do _not_ know what team. I'm hoping YOU can tell me that! Okay bye, see you in ten."

Tyson was relieved, he clung to Tala for dear life as the Demolition Boys not only ran a few stop lights, but turned a few rights on red as well. It took them five minutes to get back to Kai's mansion. By that time Steve and Spencer were waiting for them at the gate. They opened it up for Tala and Bryan, heaving the wrought iron aside.

Tyson yawned as they pulled up to the gate. "TYSON!!" The Blade Breakers cried in relief.

Max was the first to reach him, glomping Tyson happily and snuggling his face into Tyson's shoulder blades. Rei hugged him from the other side. Hillary growled at them both that they'd squeeze Tyson to death. Kenny bounced up and down, because he wasn't tall enough to hug Tyson by the shoulders. The other Teams came hurrying out. Ian happily performed a cheer he'd made up called the Nookie Dance. Bryan whacked him over the head with his water bottle. Michael and Eddy spontaneously broke into a chorus of, "For he's a jolly good fellow." Emily stepped "accidentally" on Michael's toes and was happy when she achieved the desired affect of making Michael's voice jump to the soprano range. Mariah cheered, hugging Emily until she complained that Mariah was choking her.

Kane and his team, who were still rather shy around the other, more experienced teams, stayed shyly back until Kane came forward and pumped his hand in a good, solid handshake. "Glad you're back." But then they almost got run over as Enrique, Johnny, and Oliver rushed down the steps, Robert calling after them to slow down or they'd break their necks!

And there he was, Kai, standing at the top of the stairs. Bryan and Tala guided a weakened, still lightheaded Tyson up the steps to greet him. Kai, in the first open show of affection he ever showed Tyson in public, wrapped his arms around Tyson's shoulders, hiding his tears in the nape of his neck. "I missed you." Kai whispered softly in his ear. "I was so worried about you."

"Me too." Tyson whispered. "I missed you too. I didn't think Ozuma would let me get out alive."

"Ozuma did this?" Kai asked softly as he guided Tyson inside and up the stairs to bed. "What did he do?"

"I'm not sure, he kept me knocked out most of the time." Tyson said groggily. "I know he cut my neck in some places. And he made me drink some kind of medicine. It was probably what knocked me out."

Kai checked. "It doesn't look like a cut, it looks more like a puncture wound, like he stuck a needle into your jugular."

"Whatever it was it hurt like hell." Tyson shivered again. "Then Joseph didn't agree with whatever it was Ozuma was doing, so he helped me escape. He said it was too late to help me though…" Tyson paused. "Hey, where did the Dark Bladers go?"

The Dark Bladers had also been invited to the get together, and since they were rarely invited to anything, they accepted the invitation. "Still sleeping, or Sanguinax is. Lupinex went for a hike this morning and he said he'd be out all day. I don't know where the other two went." Kai said, voice still low as they climbed the stairs to Tyson's room.

They didn't talk much on the way up to his room. Tyson had learned from Kai, that silence could communicate as much as words could. If he gauged this particular silence correctly, Kai had been very worried about him and was glad he had gotten away. He was angry at Ozuma for kidnapping and injuring Tyson and worried for Tyson's well being.

Kai pulled back the sheets for Tyson. Tyson gratefully dropped his jacket and hat on the floor. Tyson took off his shirt and belt. Kai then, glancing at Tyson for permission, helped his boyfriend take off his shoes and socks. Tyson was too tired to do them himself. Kai rubbed his feet, and Tyson giggled slightly when it tickled him.

Kai flopped down onto the bed beside Tyson and began to massage the tension out of his shoulders. Tyson purred softly, working his shoulder blades. His bones and muscles creaked as Kai delicately massaged the pain away.

Suddenly Kai hit a sore spot. Tyson hissed. "Did I hurt you?" Kai asked tenderly.

"It's okay, there was just this sensitive point." Tyson took a deep breath, shivering under Kai's light, almost seductive touch.

Kai examined the place. "There doesn't seem to be any bruising there."

"It's probably just stiff from being tied in the SAME damn position for twenty four hours." Tyson yawned. "A little lower Kai."

Kai dutifully worked his way down Tyson's back, unknotting the tense muscles in the small of his back. "That better?"

"Much!" Tyson said with another yawn.

"I'll stay with you for awhile. Why don't you sleep?" Kai asked, taking off his shirt and scarf and snuggling up against Tyson's chest. Tyson wrapped an arm around Kai's waist before falling asleep.

Robert politely knocked. "The council is about to begin Kai. I suggest that you wake Tyson up if you don't want him to miss dinner."

"Let him sleep, he's very weak. I'm coming." Kai slipped out of the bed. He dressed and left for dinner.

"I'll ask Oliver to keep something hot for him." Robert said with a smile.

Tyson slept on, oblivious.


	2. Awakening

Blood and Tears Chapter 1- Awakening 

Tyson was rudely awakened when Hillary yanked the blinds open the next morning. "TY-SON! GET UP IT'S TEN THIRTY!!"

"Ah!" Tyson screamed. The sun hurt his eyes, stinging them. "Cruel woman! Close the blinds!"

Hillary let go of the cord and the blinds slid down back to their normal positions. "Sorry to wake you Tyson, but I know that if we eat breakfast without you you'll whine about it all day long."

Tyson's stomach was growling, and he could smell some of Oliver's freshly made bread wafting up from the kitchen. "Damn right I would, where's my shirt?" Tyson picked up his shirt and hat. He ran a comb through his naturally messy hair and turned the hat backwards on his head. Tyson then picked up his jacket and draped it over the bed frame.

Hillary was looking at him. "Are you sure that you're okay Tyson? You look pretty pale."

"I'm fine! I just need some food!" Tyson grinned. He pounded down the stairs shouting. "CHAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGEEEEEE! DA DADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Tyson imitated a cavalry bugle call as he slid down the banister.

Hillary rolled her eyes. "Boys."

Oliver had not made bread. Oliver had made cinnamon buns. "Cinnamon bunzuh!" Tyson said in an imitation of his favorite TV alien. "Give me cinnamon bunzuh!"

"The correct word is PLEASE!" Oliver growled, holding the tray out of reach.

"hmm… somebody got stuck on the wrong side of the bed last night." Tyson grinned.

Oliver blushed and made a harumphing noise. "I guess if you're being rude you'd rather have stale bread and water."

"NO! NO! PLEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAASSSSSSEEEEE?" Tyson begged.

Oliver plopped a pair of cinnamon buns, (A/N: Ax:  Bunzuh) onto Tyson's plate and laughed. "I guess you're back to normal then."

"Yup!" Tyson grinned. "Thanks for the grub Oliver." Tyson said with his mouth full.

"How uncouth!" Oliver humphed, before heaping three of them onto Enrique's plate.

"How come he gets more?" Tyson pleaded. "Is he your boyfriend? Have you been giving him any?"

Oliver flushed a shade that Tyson had so far only seen on Hillary's lipstick. "None of your business."

Sanquinax came in with a yawn. "May I have some? We vampires eat normal food too." He begged plantively.

Oliver sighed and set down a plate for him across from Tyson. Sanguinax yawned hugely again and took a dainty bite of his breakfast (or dinner that is.) As he chewed, he looked across the table at Tyson. The vampire swallowed his mouthful and said. "Tyson are you alright? You look rather pale."

"I'm fine, just hungry." Tyson grinned. "I didn't know vampires ate normal food."

"We can, as long as we feed once a week we're fine." Sanguinax took another mouthful. He, unlike Tyson, waited until he had finished chewing to speak. "I usually eat just to be polite, but Oliver's baking is too good to miss." He yawned again before taking another bite. Then he stared. "Tyson, is that a mark at you're neck?"

Tyson spun his head around, trying to see. Sighing in frustration he turned to the mirror behind him. Yes, there was the mark where Ozuma had cut him. Only hadn't Kai said that it looked like a puncture wound?

"Yeah, Ozuma marked me up. I didn't really see what he did to me, he kept me blindfolded." Tyson shivered at the memory.

"It looks like a vampire bite." Sanguinax commented. "Tell me, is this Ozuma of your's a vamp?"

"You know, I wouldn't be surprised if he were. I'm not sure though, we don't know very much about his team, the Saint Shields, other than what we learned during a rather public fracas about six months ago. Dunga, one of the Saint Shields stole Drigar and sealed him in a rock." Tyson explained. "I had to beat the crap out of Ozuma to get it back."

"Ah." Sanguinax turned back to his food.

Kai came into the room then, and sat down next to Tyson. Tyson took a huge bite of cinnamon roll and almost choked when Kai slid his hand caressingly up Tyson's thigh. "Are you alright?" Enrique asked.

Tyson choked again. He gulped water. "Yeah, yeah fine." So Kai wanted to play hardball huh? Tyson wolfed his breakfast before pounding upstairs.

A few minutes later Tyson heard a knock on his door. He let Kai in and shut and locked the door. Kai smirked at him and said. "Did you know that it's been exactly thirty six hours since the last time we made out?"

"That horny huh?" Tyson smirked, batting his eyelashes flirtatiously at Kai.

Kai grinned, shoving Tyson back onto his rumpled bed. Tyson yanked Kai down to kiss him. "Come here with that hot bod." Tyson grinned as his mouth met Kai's.

Kai moaned softly in response, slipping his tongue inside of Tyson's mouth. His hands slid up Tyson's thigh. The two of them broke apart, panting. Kai yanked Tyson's hat off of his head and threw it across the room. Tyson's hands fumbled with the scarf around Kai's neck. "The hickies I gave you went away." Tyson pouted. "Oh well, I'll give you new ones!" He fumbled to slip his hands under Kai's shirt, pulling it over his head.

Kai pulled back only as far as he needed to get his shirt off. Then Tyson sat up under him to pull off his own shirt. Kai ground his hips to Tyson's, eliciting a moan from the other boy. Tyson started kissing his way along Kai's jaw line, licking, sucking, and nipping at Kai's neck and shoulders. Kai grunted and moaned in satisfaction.

Tyson reached the vein at Kai's neck. He could feel it pulsing under his lips. He heard Kai's heartbeat. He smelled Kai's blood. Tyson wanted that blood, to feel it trickling down his throat… wondering absently how it would taste.

NO! Tyson pulled back, shaking his head to clear it. Normal, decent human beings did not crave their boyfriend's blood.

Kai worked his lips down Tyson's neck and shoulders, licking his way around the still sore bite mark on his shoulder. Tyson shivered in pleasure as Kai moved his way down Tyson's chest, then back up the other side of his neck. "Something wrong love?"

"I'm not sure." Tyson shivered again. "Just… just this odd feeling… I'm not sure how to describe it… but I can't help feel unsettled after whatever it was Ozuma did…" Tyson closed his eyes, trying to figure out what had happened, what that feeling meant, but it was gone.

Kai smiled tenderly down at him, caressing his cheek. The captain of the Blade Breakers sang softly to his boyfriend.

_"Something 'bout the way the hair falls in your face_

_I love the shape you take when crawling towards the pillow case_

_You tell me where to go and, though I might leave to find it_

_I'll never let your head hit the bed, without my hand behind it." _

Tyson smiled warmly up at him. "It's probably nothing Kai." He pulled his boyfriend down to kiss him again, before joining in.

"You want love, we'll make it 

_Swim in a deep see of blankets_

_I'll take all your big plans and break 'em_

_This is bound to be wild." _

Kai sighed, taking a deep breath of Tyson's scent. "I was really worried about you."

"I can tell." Tyson sighed, wrapping his arms around Kai's waist.

"I thought they were going to kill you or something. I mean, all the other teams were here, even the Psykicks, who else would it be but the Saint Shields?" Kai asked. "And I was worried that if he didn't kill you, Ozuma might… I don't know… rape you or something… and that would have been just as bad."

Tears slipped down Tyson's cheeks. "I thought the same thing Kai, but it worked out right? We're together again right? And there's nothing wrong with either of us."

And he firmly put thoughts of Ozuma out of his mind.

Sanguinax shook his head with a sigh. "I don't like the looks of this Robert. I really don't."

The Majestic took a long pull of his coffee. "What don't you like the looks of?"

"I'm not really sure. But if this Ozuma of yours is a Vampire like I am… We need to watch Tyson's behavior over the next few days…"

"You think Ozuma has…"

"I don't know what to think. Just because _I_ wouldn't do something doesn't mean that this Ozuma wouldn't." Sanguinax shivered in memory of his suffering.

"So." Tala concluded. "We keep an eye on Tyson and go looking for this Ozuma. I'll look up the Saint Shields in the Abby's archives. We have notes on every team in the BBA. The Saint Shields are one of the Ancient Teams, like the Bai Hu Zu. (A/N:  Chinese:  The White Tiger Clan.) That means that they have access to occult knowledge that most teams don't. All I know about them is that their clan has been steeped in Beyblading tradition long before the BBA's foundation. They worship Bit Beasts as Gods."

"That helps us how?" Asked Michael. "I mean, I don't believe in all this supernatural stuff. But I _DO_ believe that the bit beasts have sentience. I mean, that's pretty obvious. I remember meeting Trygle when I was four. He used to come out of his blade and play with me and my sister. So I can see how somebody like the Saint Shields would think of Bit Beasts as Ancient Gods. But I think that that's a little **_extreme_**."

Lee thought for a moment. "My clan has had ties with the Saint Shields. They are very old and have existed longer than my own clan. We used to be bitter enemies, and we still have quite a lot of rivalry in the dish. I once met Joseph and Miriam when I was very young. A beyblader by the name of Ace once took chunks out of Miriam's beyblade. She cried for awhile, but she got over it, and Shark Rash, her bit beast was alright. Then I asked her why she wasn't going to get Ace back for what he'd done she said something very odd, 'For a Saint Shield, there can only be one revenge.' I later learned that the Saint Shield clan had vowed revenge on the Blade Breaker's bit beasts because they had almost destroyed the clan in ancient times. Maybe, failing in his vow of revenge, Ozuma decided to take matters into his own hands."

"A person who has just recently been turned into a vampire goes a little crazy for awhile." Sanguinax told the others. "It is very likely that if this Ozuma is a vampire that he might even blame Tyson for what happened to him."

Kane was silent. "Well Kane, don't you have anything to say?" Asked Tala gently.

"Not really. I only met the Saint Shields once. They were after the same thing my former employers were after, the Four Sacred Bit Beasts. I haven't seen them in awhile, although Miriam and Selima still hang out a lot, I mean, after all, how often do you find a _girl_ who's interested in Beyblading?" Kane sighed. "Where'd Kai go?"

"Upstairs to talk things out with Tyson." Robert sighed, running his hands nervously through his hair. He put his head in his hands, leaning his elbows on his knees. "What the hell are we going to do with them? The Saint Shields I mean. I'm on the opposite end of the world from them, and I have no experience in what they do and do not tend to do."

"Then we do some research." Tala said, cracking his knuckles. He pulled a laptop out of his bag and put together a satellite internet connection. "Come on baby, make daddy proud."

"You're talking to a laptop?" Robert asked, amused. He wrapped an arm around Tala's waist as he looked over the demolition boy's shoulder.

"Don't knock it till you've tried it." Tala smirked, climbing happily into Robert's lap.

Robert flushed. "Get off already!"

"Santa? Santa? I wanna po-ny!" Tala imitated a little kid.

"I am never gonna live that down." Robert whined.

Just that Christmas Robert had volunteered to play Santa for a charity organization. Who had happened to walk in but Tala. Tala saw through the stupid costume and burst out laughing on the spot. The others had heard about it later on as word of the event, and Robert's humiliation, had spread. Tala and Robert were dating behind the other captain's backs, and Tala loved to use teasing him over that incident as a thinly disguised excuse to flaunt.

Tala slid off of Robert's lap. "Actually, this particular lap top tends to crash too often if I get far enough from the Abbey. I got into a stupid habit of begging it to work. Unfortunately, it would only seem to work if I were Kenny and the Laptop were Dizzi."

They laughed.

"Great, so give me a couple of hours and I'll have the dirt for you." Tala said, turning to the screen to work.


	3. A little tiger told me

Blood and Tears 

Notes:  I have an art challenge for anybody who care's to take it. There's a scene where Rei is teaching Bryan the piano. I want somebody to illustrate that scene for me. Think you could do that? Pretty please? (imitates Tigger) Puh puh puh pleaseee?

Chapter 2- Why Me? 

If the other Blade Breakers wondered why Tyson looked so sickly that afternoon, they didn't say so. Tyson didn't seem to notice it. They sat down for a meeting and some training that afternoon. "So, Ozuma's on our tail again huh?" Rei sighed resignedly.

"I know, you'd think he'd give up after the last time." Kenny told them. "But if he's after us, and if he's not restricting his activities to the dish, that could be a serious problem. Remember the Demolition Boy's attack on our bus a year ago? Max could have been killed. Then there was Falborg and Rei, and the Battle Tower. The folks at the PPB told us that Bit Beasts can't attack humans, but that doesn't mean that the Beybladers themselves can't attack us."

Tyson stared into the pond thoughtfully. "Ozuma's gotten his hand on some kind of new power. This morning at breakfast Sanguinax said that the mark he left on my shoulder looked like a vampire bite. What are we supposed to do? Get out the silver bullets Buffy, it's time to slay some vamps? Come on, how lame does that sound?"

"Which one is Buffy and which one is Angel?" Max wondered.

"Irrelevant Max." Kai made a cutting motion with his hand to emphasize his statement. "But here's what I managed to get from Sanguinax about vampires. They're incredibly strong. They regenerate wounds. You can't defeat them unless you strike at their heart, otherwise after a few nights they'll be ready to attack you again. They CAN appear in sunlight, but bright lights hurt their eyes. They can see on the infrared spectrum, allowing them to find their prey in total darkness. You guys, I think we should focus more on physical training, not beyblading this time. Tala and Michael have offered to help us with that part. They're working on a training program that combines the basic physical training used in Balkov Abbey with a Sports type diet and training program. Only this is no game. It could be any of us that he attacks next."

Rei spoke up. "Kai, I've met the Saint Shields before I left the clan. I know enough about them to know that in their clan what Ozuma is doing is Taboo. He's not supposed to be attacking the beybladers themselves, as he did with Tyson. If he keeps going, Ozuma is very likely to lose control of his team, because they all know that he's breaking their rules of engagement."

"Rules of engagement?" Tyson asked. "What are those?"

"A rule of engagement is something that you are or are not supposed to do in war." Max explained. "For example, the Geneva Conventions are the United Nations' rules of engagement."

Kai nodded. "Thanks Rei, we could use that knowledge to our advantage in a conflict."

"We already know that Joseph has disobeyed Ozuma. And we have a possible motivation for him doing it then." Hillary said thoughtfully.

"Motivation? Hillary you sound like Sherlock Holmes when you say that." Tyson scorned.

"Tyson, do you know where Voltaire got his name?" Hillary asked pointedly.

"No, why?"

"Voltaire was named after a famous philosopher, Francois Marie Aruet de Voltaire. The original Voltaire once said that, 'One great use of words is to hide our thoughts.' I totally agree." Hillary nodded respectfully at Kai. "With the Saint Shields that's doubly true. I don't think what's important is what they SAY. What is important is their actions and the implications of their actions."

"Right." Tyson sighed. The whole thing made his head spin. He didn't like these kinds of meetings. Tyson preferred to get up and DO things instead of talking about them. Even worse, Tyson had been feeling rather weak since yesterday. Weakness was NOT a feeling that he liked. Oh well, maybe with the abbey training program he'd get stronger, and he'd punch a wooden stake RIGHT through Ozuma's twisted heart!

Tyson shivered. He hated hurting other people. He was not like the Demolition Boys, he could not just turn off his emotions, such as kindness, compassion, love, sadness, all those things that made people… well… human!

"You alright Tyson?" Kenny asked, plopping down on the bench beside him.

"Fine, just tired." Tyson yawned. "After Hillary's RUDE awakening."

"Would you rather have missed breakfast?" Hillary asked sourly.

She had a point. "You could have picked a gentler way of waking me up Hillary. I thought I was going to go blind with that sunlight shining in my eyes!"

"Fair enough, but would you have just rolled back over and gone back to sleep?"

Damn, she had another point. "Okay fine, I probably would have, but next time just… I don't know… splash some water on my face or something. Don't shine a bright light in my eyes like that."

Kai blinked. "Did I miss something?"

"I opened the blinds this morning so that the sunlight shining in his eyes would wake him up." Hillary explained. "I think I hurt him."

"Thank you miss captain obvious!" Tyson rolled his eyes and leaned back against the stonewall in the garden.

"Interesting." Kai said thoughtfully.

His tone chilled Tyson to the bone. Ozuma couldn't have… he wouldn't have… would he? Tyson shivered. Kai placed his hand gently on Tyson's shoulder. Tyson realized that as much as affection it was a subtle reassurance on his part. He said softly. "I'm not saying anything either way Tyson. I'm not about to resort to McCarthyism on the basis of one incident."

"A what?" Tyson asked.

"I'll tell you later." Kai said softly. "My room at six?" He dropped his voice to a whisper.

Tyson nodded. "See you there, cap'n'." He whispered back.

"So tomorrow morning we begin the physical training." Kai told them. "You've got leisure time until then. I know it's not like me." He said, stemming Max's pending outburst of surprise. "But if you knew how rough abbey strength training is you'd be saying the same thing."

Rei nodded, rising from his place. "Is that all Kai?" He asked.

"Yup." Kai let go of Tyson's shoulder.

Tyson was left alone for awhile. He went for a long, thought filled walk around the gardens.

Rei headed inside to the parlor. There was a piano in there, and although Rei didn't play, he wanted to check it out. But to his surprise he heard the soft, plink, plonk, plink, of piano keys. He opened the door.

Bryan was concentrating very hard on the piano keyboard in front of him. His movements were slow, deliberate, as though he had known once what the different keys did, but had since forgotten. He sang too, in a rich tenor voice thick with disuse.

"When I was... ten my father... held me... on his shoulders above the crowd  
To see... a train draped in... mourning pass slowly... through our town  
His widow... kneeled with all... their children at the... sacred burial ground  
And the TV... glowed that long... hot summer... with all the... cities burning down."

Rei watched, fascinated, as Bryan tentatively moved his fingers along the keys. His face was so beautiful, his expression was soft, almost innocent. Rei knew that song too. He joined in softly...

"And the stones in the road flew out beneath our bicycle tires  
Worlds removed from all those fires as we raced each other home."

Bryan jumped, fingers making a dissonant BONG on the keys.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." Rei said, closing the door behind him.

Bryan had paled as white as a sheet. "I... uh... uh... I..."

"What's wrong? You look like I'll bite your head off or something." Rei said, pulling up a chair.

Bryan looked at the floor, scuffing the toe of his boot on the carpet. "Force of... habit." He muttered softly.

"You mean..." Rei's face registered astonishment. "They didn't let you have music at the abbey?!"

"Nope... They didn't... I mean, Diana and Nyassa were allowed to, because Diana was Boris' cousin and Nyassa was Voltaire's favorite, she could get away with anything. But most of us weren't allowed to sing or dance or anything." Bryan's face had flushed slightly. "It was forbidden."

"Oh." Rei said with a smile. "I don't play very well, but I do sing okay."

"I heard." Bryan said with a small, shy smile.

Gods he looked beautiful, Rei thought as he sat down on the bench. He'd never told anybody the real reason why he and Mariah had broken up. "See, this key is called middle C. You place your thumb on the middle C, and that's your starting point. You guys typed at the abbey right?"

Bryan nodded. "We all had rudimentary training in computer programming, although the technicians got to do the advanced courses."

Rei chuckled. "They say the arts are always the first to go. Watch, you rest your hands on the keys a lot like the way you would a keyboard." He ran a tentative arpeggio. "That was called an arpeggio. Now I'm not very good with reading music, but let's see what you've got here." Rei flipped the pages of the songbook. "Oh, this one's easy, put your hands on mine and I'll guide you through it."

"Don't mean to get a little forward with you, don't mean to get ahead of where we are  
Don't mean to act a little nervous around you, I'm just a little nervous about my heart 'cause  
It's been awhile since I felt this feeling that everything that you do gives me  
It's been so long since somebody whispered  
Shut up and kiss me"

Bryan flushed at the lyrics. Rei felt his reaction against his own body. Would Bryan say something? Would he pull away? Would he run? Rei ignored the reaction, concentrating on the music. "Here's the hard part, pull your right hand back a moment, I'll show you how it works and you can copy me." Rei pressed the middle c, rolling his hand in a movement that he likened to a caterpillar. "Make sure that you only have the finger that you're playing on the keyboard. It's kind of like the way an inchworm walks. Like this, go all the way up to the top of the keyboard, that's called high c. Then you just run your hand back down the board like this..." Grinning, Rei slid his hand in a fast descending scales.

The noise was so loud that Bryan jumped about a mile. Rei grinned evilly. "Go ahead, try it! It's fun!"

Bryan's eyes lit up when he went up the scales tentatively, and then slammed on it back down. Rei giggled. Bryan's face lit up with joy as he tried it again. "Hey, that's actually kind of fun!"

"Told you!" Rei grinned. He turned, and realized that his face was less than a foot away from Bryan's. Their eyes met. Bryan flushed.

"Thanks."

They ran through the song again. This time Bryan was able to do the song on his own. Rei grinned, pride evident on his face.

"Oh baby when I feel this feeling, it's like genuine voodoo hits me  
It's been too long since somebody whispered...  
Oh baby I can feel this feeling that everything that you do gives me  
It's been too long since somebody whispered  
Shut up and kiss me"

"Shut up and kiss me" Final repetition, song over.

Then Rei made his move. "Are you SURE you want me to kiss you?"

Bryan jumped again, flushing a shade of scarlet that Rei had never seen before. Taking that as a yes Rei closed the distance between them, pulled Bryan into his arms, and kissed him.

Bryan flushed, almost melting into his grip. He kissed back eagerly, looping his arms around Rei's shoulders. Rei purred softly, slipping his tongue into Bryan's mouth, exploring, tasting. The Demolition Boy had a crisp, almost minty smell to him. He smelled like mint and vanilla and, faintly, roses. Of course, being a neko-jin, Rei had a better sense of smell than the other Blade Breakers.

The experiment that had created the current generation of White Tigers had resulted in sort of, cat like senses and habits, grace and strength. Rei prided himself on his senses. They did have that much in common then, they were both bioengineered, although Rei would never admit that to the other Blade Breakers.

They broke the kiss, and Rei was amazed to see tears coming out of Bryan's eyes. He smiled, an expression of pure release. It was as though all the anxieties of years of abuse and misery was coming undone. Rei grinned. "Feel better."

"Much." Bryan agreed, in a voice soft with wonder.

Rei smiled, pulling Bryan down to kiss him once more. Bryan pushed him gently back on the piano bench. Rei ran his hands through the Demolition Boy's hair as Bryan gently worked his lips down Rei's shoulder, then back up his neck and along his jawline until their lips met again. Rei let out a tiny 'oooh' noise, which subsided to a purr of pleasure.

Tala, with a tiny smile on his face, turned away from the room and shut the door so quietly, that not even Rei would have heard it, had the neko-jin been focused on anything else except the strawberry blonde head bent to kiss him against the piano bench.


	4. The Cravings

****

Blood and Tears

__

Chapter 3- Training

Kai pushed Tyson gently back on the bed. Tyson smiled lovingly up at Kai. He had grown to trust Dranzer's keeper over the past six months, more than he had ever trusted anybody. Kai leaned over him, kissing along his jawline.

"I don't like your color, if you don't start to recover in the next few days I'm taking you to a doctor." Kai said gently.

Tyson wrapped his arms around Kai's shoulders, burrowing his face in Kai's hair. "It's okay. I'll be fine…"

Kai didn't believe it. There was something about what had happened to his boyfriend that he was missing. "Did you know that Tala found Bryan and Rei making out in the parlor?"

"Bryan and Rei? I thought they hated each other!" Tyson exclaimed.

"Apparently not." Kai said, running his hands along Tyson's thigh. Tyson moaned softly, capturing Kai's mouth in his, pulling him into a long, passionate kiss.

Tyson grinned as they pulled away. "Do you think they were actually playing that Piano, or were they playing with each other?"

"I don't know, but I've asked Tala not to mention it to anybody, and for the sake of Rei's privacy I'm going to have to ask you not to tell anyone either."

"My lips are sealed." Tyson pulled Kai down to kiss him again.

"Not literally I see." Kai smirked.

Tyson kissed his way along Kai's shoulder, licking and nipping at the bare, pale flesh. He hadn't noticed what happened until Kai cried out, "Ouch!"

"What… what did I do?" Tyson asked, pulling back.

Kai was bleeding slightly from the nip in his shoulder. "You bit me!"

Tyson felt the blood cravings well up full force. He moaned softly and rolled away. "Maybe you should be dominant for awhile."

"I was, until you decided to French me and bite me." Kai pulled Tyson into his arms.

Tyson felt a wave of hunger, not normal hunger, just a horrible, incredible craving for two things, sex and blood. He cried out softly, curling into a fetal position. The hunger was intense, unlike his normal appetite. "I… I think we should stop for tonight…" Tyson stammered, panting. Every instinct he had was screaming that something was wrong with him, but what?

"Can't take the heat?" Kai asked.

"Something like that." Tyson said, standing up.

"Well then, I'll see you in the…"

Tyson couldn't take it anymore, he tackled Kai to the bed, kissing him vigorously, slipping out of pants, and boxers and…

"AH!" Tyson sat up straight in bed. He curled back into a fetal position. The first half of the dream had been memory, but the rest was his own sick, twisted imagination. "Me so horny." Tyson said bitterly to himself. He got up and went to the bathroom to get a drink.

Tyson looked in the mirror and hardly recognized himself. "Oh my gods." Tyson realized that his face was pale, his facial muscles looked strained. When Tyson grimaced he realized why he had drawn blood when he'd accidentally bitten Kai. His canines had lengthened slightly. When Tyson ran his tongue over them he realized that they were incredibly sharp. "No fucking wonder." He rolled his eyes. "They feel like I sharpened them on a dog bone or something." Tyson muttered angrily.

Almost as if seeing them had been a signal, Tyson felt a wave of the blood hunger he had felt earlier when he'd seen Kai bleed. He heard his stomach rumble audibly. "Maybe some Kudos would help."

Tyson dug around under his bed for the sugary candy bars. Whenever he was on a long trip somewhere Tyson ate several small meals instead of three big ones, it kept his blood sugar up. Kudos made a great snack on such occasions and with Max's help Tyson kept a steady supply under his bed.

"Why me?" Tyson wondered as he chewed on the candy bar, savoring the sugar. It helped a little, but not enough. "Why is this happening to me? Why couldn't Ozuma have chosen somebody else?"

But he knew the answer. Max would go insane. Rei would draw in on himself, brooding in the fashion that he usually did when something went wrong. Kai… what would Kai have done?

Kai would have done what had to be done. He would have given in to the cravings. Kai wouldn't have had this problem. Ozuma probably knew whom to torture like this, because he knew that Tyson didn't like hurting people.

Tyson finished off three Kudos before going back to bed with a rumbling belly and devout hope that Oliver was going to make pancakes and bacon and sausage and homefries and all that good, hearty diner food that Tyson liked so much.

Unfortunately, ignoring a problem does NOT make it go away.

Steak and eggs, with a side of toast, graced the Blade Breaker's places at the table the next morning. Everybody else except Eddy had pancakes. Eddy grinned across the table at them. "No use complaining Tyson. We've got you Blade Breakers on a boxer's diet. Protein diets are better for strength training, less potatoes and more meat!"

Max sighed, dejected, Oliver made the most delicious pancakes! "What exactly does that mean?"

"Well, before I played basket ball, I was a boxer." Eddy explained. "And my trainer had me eat more protein in various forms, less fats and sugars, and about half as many carbos." Eddy explained. "Because the more protein you have in your system the more is available to put into pure muscle." That last was said with a wicked grin. "So while you're training you'll be eating with me."

Tyson tore into the meat with twice his usual voracity. He ate the eggs slightly slower. By the time he made it to the toast everybody at the table was staring at him. "Tyson are you alright? You're eating like an animal." Oliver commented. "I didn't think my steak and eggs were that good."

"Sorry, I'm just hungrier than usual today. I think the red meat will help though." He said with a cheerful smile.

"Tyson, you're only fourteen, almost fifteen, and you've got a five o'clock shadow. Your eyes are burned holes in your head and you say that there's nothing wrong with you?" Kai demanded. "There's something wrong with you and tomorrow morning I'm taking you to see a doctor!"

"I'M FINE KAI!!" Tyson cried in frustration. "Just upset over what happened with Ozuma! That's all! And I'll feel even better when we beat the crap out of the Saint Shields again!" He stretched, hearing his joints crack. Tyson took the last bites of toast and handed his plate to Oliver. "May I have more steak please?"

"O.M.G." Enrique stated. "In-credible, what have you done with Tyson?"

"What do you mean?" Tyson asked.

"You NEVER say please when it comes to food. You always say something like, 'gimme more,' or, 'I'm starving, can I have five helpings?' You never say 'PLEASE' or 'Thank-you' or anything else that's considered basic manners." Enrique stated.

"It's a miracle!" Max raised his juice glass. "Oliver, while you're at it would you mind bringing me more juice? I'm thirsty."

"I wouldn't mind at all Max." Oliver said, smirking in Tyson's direction. "You're at least typically polite. You should hang around with Tyson more, I think your manners are rubbing off on him."

Tyson grunted a reply. The steak was almost the trick. But he was still kind of hungry.

"Great." Eddy said, when everybody was finished. "You guys are gonna go for a nice easy run with me and the other All Starz. Then we'll head back to the gym and lift some weights."

"You _eat_ this stuff?" Rei asked, making a face. "I mean, no offense to your cooking Oliver, but I never liked eggs unless they've been cooked into something."

"Steak and eggs was what the boss ordered. Besides Rei, you're lucky I didn't make you eat them raw. My grandfather used to do that. He'd pour the egg in a glass with milk and sugar and…" Oliver began.

"I don't want to know! That's disgusting!" Rei made a face.

Eddy laughed. "Come on you guys, Emily's already finished changing, and you KNOW she doesn't like to wait."

Tyson left his jacket and hat behind, and the instant he stepped outside he regretted it. Tyson had to cover his eyes until they adjusted to the light from the sun. Since the door of the mansion faced east the sun was shining right in his eyes as he stepped out. "AH!" Tyson cried.

"You alright?" Kenny asked worriedly.

"I'M FINE!" Tyson snapped. "Let's get going!" He started off.

"You won't make the run that way." Michael said, running sideways and parallel to Tyson. "Pace yourself or you'll get tired."

Tyson only slowed down slightly, because Michael's red hair reminded him of blood, and that brought on the cravings again. Tyson squeezed his eyes shut and ran on, ahead of the others.

"Well you can't say he's not plowing into the new regimen." Hillary commented.

"I know, it's so like him." Max said with a smile. "Tyson's always into everything."

Poor Emily was stuck lagging behind the others. "I hate these runs... I do track back home… but I can never keep up with Eddy… His legs are too long." Emily panted.

Sure enough, Eddy soon made it to the front of the pack. "Come on slow pokes! I can make it from Harlem to Rockafeller Center inside of three hours!"

"Not everybody's got legs like a stork you idiot!" Emily shouted after them.

Kenny rolled his eyes. Hillary chuckled. "Come on Emily, don't yell at him, it spoils the morning!"

Steve kept up perfectly. He was panting heavily, but he averaged around middle when it came to endurance and speed. Michael ran like a wolf, he never seemed to tire, going at a steady pace.

But Eddy had the speed. You could tell that he had morning runs like this often. Some of the neighbors recognized the Blade Breakers and smiled, or greeted them with a friendly hello.

They ran into Andrew, and a couple of the Blade Sharks shouted greetings to Kai, but mostly they just ran into fans. Some of the girls giggled at Rei. "Hi Rei! Whatcha doin'?"

"Training girls! Catch ya' later!" Rei said, running backwards.

"Oh wow! He's training with the All Starz!"

"I wonder if I could get Michael's autograph!"

"I play tennis, maybe Emily can give me some tips!"

"Oh yeay the All Starz!" Was the collective squeal before they were out of Tyson's ear shot.

They passed the Phoenix center team, Foxy and co. "Yo Tyson, whazzup?"

"Training is what!" Tyson said, forcing a grin as he ran backwards, "Gonna beat the crap out of the Saint Shields again!"

"You don't look so good." Foxy commented. (A/N: (**huggles Foxy plushie**)) "Take care of yourself!" He shouted before they were out of earshot.

"I will!" Tyson said, waving.

An hour later they made it up the driveway to Kai's mansion. Tyson was sweating hard and had to knead his calf muscles when they finally stopped.

"Catch!" Michael tossed him a Powerade. "Gotta… stay… hydrated…" He panted, pulling one for himself out of the cooler that Oliver had thoughtfully left for them on the steps.

Eddy wiped the sweat off of his forehead before pulling out a lemon/lime powerade and guzzling half of it. "Whew! Haven't had a run this good since the day I gave up boxing!"

Emily practically collapsed on the steps. "It would have been better if you had kindly remembered that some people do not have as long legs as you do." She said acidly.

"Sorry Em'." Eddy apologized.

"You guys do this every _day_?" Rei panted, before chugging on the powerade Steve handed him.

"Rain, sleet, snow or shine." Michael said with a grin. "Cardiovascular health." He stumbled over the scientific term.

Tyson shook out his hair. It was dripping with sweat. Then he opened the bottle and took a long pull. "That actually felt good." He panted.

Kai rolled his eyes. "We had to do tread mills at the abbey, especially when there was a blizzard. It was too cold in Moscow to run everyday. You'd get sick."

"What about summer?" Tyson asked, he had only seen Moscow in one season, winter.

"Summer was fine, they'd even let us play a couple of rounds of soccer or baseball during the winter. Nyassa usually organized those."

"Who's Nyassa?" Rei asked. "Bryan mentioned her before."

"Nyassa is my… my clone." Kai said that last quietly.

"SAY WHAT??" Everybody demanded.

"CLONE Kai?" Michael's eyes turned round.

"I can hardly stand one!" Hillary declared.

"I always knew you had a feminine side Kai." Tyson smirked.

"Shut up now Tyson and I'll make it worth your while later." Kai growled. "Let me finish. Nyassa's the one running Biovolt now that Voltaire's dead. She could get away with anything." Kai said with a small smile. "She and Diana were the only ones who could get away with singing on a work section, for example. Nyassa would usually beg Voltaire to let her play this or that game, and then she'd chose the teams, and whoever she picked got off of work sections or training for the day. Voltaire spoiled her rotten." Kai took a quick swig. "I miss her a bit, but she's got her life, I've got mine. We decided to leave it at that."

"Who's Diana?" Max asked.

"Robert's older sister. She's also Boris' cousin."

"ROBERT AND BORIS ARE RELATED???" Kenny shrieked in surprise.

"Yeah, why?" Kai asked, seeing the look of horror on the other Blade Breaker's faces. "Robert almost ended up at the abbey too. Or he would have if he hadn't been captain of the Majestics."

"I don't even want to know." Tyson rolled his eyes.

"Well they do kind of resemble each other." Max said thoughtfully. "I mean, they've got the same hair…"

"But they're so different!" Rei exclaimed. "I mean, Robert's nice and Boris is… eeck!" He shivered. "But that must be why Robert was so eager to help us defeat the Demolition Boys, he must have been worried about his sister getting beaten at the Abbey."

Tyson finished his powerade. "Okay, what's next?" He asked.

"Weight training." Steve said with a wicked grin. "My specialty. Tala's going to be joining us too."

Sure enough, Tala was waiting for them in the exercise room. "Yo." He stated, waving briefly. "I've set up the machine the way you wanted Steve."

"Sure." Steve led them over to a weight lifting machine. The other All Starz, curious to see the results, followed them.

Tala placed his hand on a bar. "This is kind of the reverse of bench pressing. You pull instead of push the bar and the pullies and levers translate that into effort, thus lifting the weight. Unfortunately, Kenny won't be able to use this. It's not safe if you're under thirteen. I'll get some smaller weights for you though." He assured Kenny, noticing the way the younger boy slouched in disappointment. "It's set at five pounds. I want you to keep working your way down the line of weights until you can't lift anymore. These blocks are the weights, you control which one you lift by placing this pin in the holes on the machine's side." Tala pointed to the pin, pulling it out and putting it back in to demonstrate.

Max took a deep breath, stepped up to the machine and pulled on the bar with both hands. The weight lifted easily. Tala moved the pin to ten pounds. Max strained this time, but still managed to get the weight to rise. He had to stop at fifteen pounds though.

Rei cracked his knuckles, settled his arms at the bar, and pulled. Fifteen pounds easily. He moved it to twenty, but at twenty five it was too much. He pulled away from the bar, panting.

"You need to get in shape little kitten." Bryan called across the room from where he was bench pressing thirty pounds.

Kai rolled his neck, cracking the joints. "I've done this before, I'll just…" He set the pin at thirty. He pulled, it wasn't easy, but he made it to thirty pounds. "Hmm… I'm out of shape, I should have been able to pull thirty five."

Hillary came forward then. "This will be easy!" Hillary grinned. She, like Rei, managed to lift twenty pounds.

Max stared. "Okay that is sooo wrong, a GIRL and the NEWEST member of the group can lift more than I can!"

"What's wrong with that?" Hillary asked, making a muscle. Tyson could see her muscles rippling under her skin. "My uncle Frank ran a deli. I had to be able to lift at _least_ ten pounds to do some of the chores I had to do."

"Tyson, your turn." Tala nodded politely, but his sigh told Tyson that he didn't expect him to do much better than the other Blade Breakers. "Honestly, how could such physical weaklings become World Champs? I don't get it!"

That stung Tyson's pride awake. He stomped impatiently over to the machine and placed the pin at fifty pounds. He yanked, putting every ounce of strength behind his arms as he could…

The weights rose one foot, two, two and a half feet off of the pile. Max gasped. Rei cried out in surprise. Kai smiled approvingly, and Hillary and Kenny applauded.

Tala gave a small smile of recognition. "Good work." Tala gave Tyson a gentle clout on the back. Then he set the pin at 100 lbs. "Watch this."

Tala pulled on the bar with one arm. The weights rose about six inches. "I'll bet you can do better Tyson, care to try?"

Tyson nodded grimly, placing the pin at eighty pounds, almost as much as Tala. He strained, and with a grunt he managed to get the pile of weights about six inches off of the ground. "See, when you lift a weight pile more than about six inches it means that you aren't set on a hard enough level." Tala explained. "You weren't trying hard enough Tyson."

Tyson slowly eased the bar back in place. "That was weird. I didn't think I'd be able to lift anything, I mean, I'm the laziest! Why is it that I can lift eighty pounds and the rest can lift less than thirty?"

"It is rather odd." Michael commented. By this time the Demolition Boys had stopped their own training to watch. "I mean, I would not have guessed that you'd…"

They went on congratulating him, but Tyson remembered, with considerable fear, what Kai had said a few nights ago…

They're incredibly strong. He was doing what he had thought impossible. His eyes were becoming light sensitive, and he was having cravings for blood.

Tyson murmured acknowledgement. But he could see, past the crowd, Lupinex watching him across the room. The werewolf ducked out of sight as soon as Tyson saw him. The fact that the Dark Bladers were keeping an eye on him did NOT make Tyson feel better. He felt like some kind of bug under a magnifying glass.

Too much. It was too much. Tyson slipped out of the crowd surrounding him. Kai followed. "Tyson."

"Leave me alone Kai, I need to think." Tyson grunted miserably.

"Tyson you need to tell us what's been going on with you!" Kai's expression was one of genuine concern.

Tyson froze. He couldn't tell Kai. Kai would freak on him. So would the others! How could he tell them what was happening to him? He didn't even know himself! It hurt horribly. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't tell anybody! He couldn't!

He felt lightheaded. His arms felt like they were made of lead. Tyson's knees were shaking and he was sweating profusely.

He swooned… Kai caught him. "TYSON!"

Tyson had just barely registered that Lupinex ran from the room to get help before he blacked out.

Notes: Nyassa: To all Tyson fans, PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!! (ducks a few tomatoes, watermelons, and assorted pieces of fruit) It's okay! It's okay! He'll be fine next chapter I promise!

Seto: Well, as fine as he can be, he's turning into a vampire after all.

Nyassa: SHHH! It's a conspiracy to attack and beat off Tyson bashers!! Don't say anything about it Seto or you'll end up running for your life! (ducks under the table)

Seto: I fear no fools, let the idiots attack me.

Nyassa: (rolls eyes) Oh well. You just can't instill a sense of fear in some people.

Yugi: (holds up Kaiba Voo Doo doll from the Ty Kamara Voo Doo Doll factory thread.) Oh yes you can. Kaiba jump! (makes doll jump)

Kaiba: (jumps) GIVE ME THAT! (dives after the VDD)

Yugi: Fly Kaiba!! (makes Kaiba zoom around the room)

Kaiba: LET ME DOWN LET ME DOWN!!

Yugi: Say please.

Kaiba: PLEASE let me down!

Yugi: Okay. (drops the VDD)

Kaiba: (falls to the ground) Don't EVER do that again!


	5. And then

**_Blood and Tears_**

**_Chapter 4- And Then?_**

Notes: I have no idea what the chapter title means. Oh well, on with the fanfic

Michael and Bryan helped the Blade Breakers carry Tyson up to his room. "I'm going to call a doctor." Kai growled, turning on his heal.

"Kai wait!" Sanguinax cried, striding up the hall towards them. "I think I know what's wrong with him!"

Kai froze. Then he said icily. "By all means, be my guest."

And so the Blade Breakers gathered around the bed. Sanguinax had the All Starz and the Demolition Boys get lost. Then he gently lifted Tyson's mouth open. "See his teeth?"

Kai could indeed. They were sharp, pointed, more like a dog's than a human's. "Yeah, so?"

"Kai there's no easy way to tell you this. Ozuma turned Tyson into a vampire." Sanguinax took a deep breath, letting his statement spill out all at once. He backed away from Tyson and turned to face the others.

"A…a…a… vampire?" Max's eyes turned as round as dinner plates. "Oh my gods."

Kai shot Max a disgusted glare and turned to face Sanguinax. "What's wrong with him then?"

"He needs to feed Kai. I'm sorry to say this, but if he doesn't feed sometime within the next forty eight hours he's going to die." Sanguinax shook his head sadly.

"And knowing Tyson he's not likely to even WANT to feed." Rei said, with soft understanding.

Hillary nodded. "He doesn't like hurting people. Poor Tyson."

"So who should he feed off of?" Kenny asked, shivering.

"I'll do it." Kai said with a cold growl. "Sanguinax, how often does he need to feed?"

"For the first two or three weeks he'll have to feed every three days. It takes about that time for a normal person to recover from a vampire bite, Kai, you'd be exhausted." Sanguinax pointed out.

Max thought for a moment. "How about Kai and I switch shifts?"

"You sound like you're talking about guard duty." Dizzy said sardonically. "This is Tyson's **LIFE**."

"Just how do we convince him?" Kai asked helplessly. "How how howhowhow?!" He sat down on a chair, burying his face in his hands. Kai ran his fingers through his hair, discretely using the gesture to wipe away the tears forming in his eyes. Silva, his grandmother, whom he'd met at Balkov abbey, had once read him a poem;

_The tears I feel today/__I'll wait to shed tomorrow/ though I'll not sleep this night/ nor find surcease from sorrow/ My eyes must keep their sight/ I dare not be tear blinded/ I must be free to talk/ Not choked with grief, clearminded/ my eyes cannot betray/ the anguish that I know/ Yes I'll keep my tears till later/ but my grief will never go._

All through his tenure at the abbey and the tense, violent atmosphere of the world championships he'd taken comfort in that poem. Now it served him again as a litany against worry, sadness, and despair. Kai knew, as he had known with Dark Dranzer, that here was a point where there was no turning back.

"Listen, Kai." Sanguinax told him. "Tyson's body is still undergoing the change to that of a vampire. His cells are literally rebuilding themselves. His fangs and claws are still soft and his wings haven't developed yet. And there are other parts of his body that are rearranging. Go easy with him for the next few weeks. After that time he'll need to feed once a week, unless something untoward happens and he loses energy."

"Thank you Sanguinax, how do we wake him up?" Kai asked. It was important to him, on some subconscious level, that he be Tyson's first feeding partner.

"Like this." Sanguinax formed his right hand into a fist. His fist began to glow. Then he pressed the first two fingers on his right hand against Tyson's forehead, right between his eyes. The glow flowed through his fingers into Tyson's forehead. Sanguinax withdrew his hand.

Tyson began to stir. "Out! All of you! Leave him with me!" Kai growled, choking on the words.

They left. Kai sat down on the edge of the bed. Tyson's eyes slowly fluttered open. He was shaking slightly. "Kai?"

"Hey." Kai said, with a tender smile. He leaned down to kiss Tyson gently on the lips. Tyson tensed beneath him, whimpering slightly. But whether in pleasure or pain Kai couldn't tell.

"What the Hell is happening to me Kai?" Tyson asked weakly. "I feel awful, weak, and… and something inside of me is changing."

Kai closed his eyes against the pain on his boyfriend's, his partner's face. "Tyson… there's no easy way for me to… to say this but… Ozuma turned you into a vampire…"

"WHAT??" Tyson demanded weakly. "He what?" His voice cracked on the second repetition of the word 'what.'

Kai winced. "Sanguinax was the one who recognized it. He said that you need to feed, or you'll die in the next forty eight or thirty six hours."

Tyson burst into tears. "I can't… Kai I can't… I know what you're going to ask me to do, but I can't do this to you."

"You HAVE to Tyson." Kai said, shaking him gently. "Please Tyson!" Kai begged. "You can't do this to me! You can't do this to US!"

Tyson turned away, curling up into a fetal position, the tears rolling down his cheeks. Kai stripped down to his boxers and slid into the bed next to Tyson. "Tyson, it's okay… I love you…" Kai whispered, kissing him gently again. "And I'll stay by you no matter what… But I'm also your captain, and we NEED you on the team. And as your captain I am ordering you to do WHAT you need to survive."

"Need to survive?" Tyson asked, eyes widening.

Kai nodded, tears streaming down his face. He cocked his head to the side, exposing the side of his neck nearest Tyson. "Do what you need to Tyson." Kai said gravely.

Tyson nodded slightly. He moved closer to Kai, wrapping his arms around Kai's waist, hands resting gently on his back. Tyson sniffed gently at the juncture between neck and shoulder, not quite sure what to do.

Instinct guided him. Tyson nipped at the vein, gently sliding his fangs in. Kai tensed slightly, then relaxed, wrapping his arms around Tyson's waist. Tyson felt the first drops of much needed blood slip into him. He realized that his fangs were hollow, like needles. They drew blood through a series of glands and biological filters, draining the energy and nutrients into his body. The fangs themselves were retractable, hiding them from sight until needed.

Then there was the sense of smell. Tyson could smell the amber scent that Kai wore. The smell was sweet and spicy and intoxicating. Had he been fully developed it would have driven Tyson to passion.

There was also the sense of taste. It was odd, because Tyson knew that the blood wasn't passing through his mouth. Yet he did taste it. Kai tasted spicy, almost like cinnamon or nutmeg, and a half a dozen other things. Kai shivered in his arms. Tyson could feel his physical reaction to his proximity. As Kai reacted, Tyson felt a new flavor slip into his fangs, almost like sugar. He realized that he could TASTE Kai's emotions.

Tyson could taste, and to a certain extent, he could FEEL Kai's emotions welling up inside of him. It was incredible! If he gauged Kai's reaction right, he was worried about Tyson, very. Tyson could feel Kai's love for him with an incredible sense of intimacy that he had never felt towards anyone. He was also tense, this was something new to Kai, would they survive it?

That was Tyson's question exactly. But what could he do? Nothing. That was the answer. Yet Tyson felt incredibly angry towards Ozuma for putting them through this. Kai held Dragoon's partner close, as if, Tyson thought, he could will strength into him.

The feeding only lasted about five minutes, but Tyson stayed there in Kai's arms. His fangs withdrew. Tyson sucked the blood away from them, then looked up at Kai.

Dranzer's partner had his eyes closed lightly. Tyson nudged him gently. "Kai?"

"Hmm?" Kai asked peacefully. His eyes fluttered open, and Tyson saw the tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Th…thank you." Tyson said softly, resting his head on Kai's chest. "Thank you for being there for me when I needed it…"

"Ai shiteru Ty-chan." Kai whispered, using the nickname that he only used when they were alone.

"Hai… ai shiteru… Kai…" Tyson murmured softly.

They slept like that in each other's arms until Tala came to check on them for lunch. Seeing them asleep, he locked the door and flipped the sign on the doorknob to 'DO NOT DISTURB.' He walked away, chuckling to himself.

meanwhile

Rei and Bryan were at the piano again. "So let's see…" Rei flipped through the book. "Oh here's a good one!"

Bryan leaned over his shoulder. "OOOHHH tATu!" He squealed. "I can sing this in my native language!"

"So why don't I sing it in English and you sing it in Russian?" Rei suggested. "I'll guide your hands over the keys like last time." He sat down happily in Bryan's lap.

_Mama, papa forgive me  
  
Out of sight, out of mind  
Out of time to decide  
Do we run? should I hide?  
For the rest of my life  
  
_Bryan flushed slightly. Not having experienced love for most of one's life made for one horny relationship, but he followed Rei's fingers on the piano. This was much harder than the other song…

_Can we fly? do we stay?   
We could lose we could fail  
And the moment it takes  
To make plans, or mistakes_

It was a slow song though, and beautiful. Bryan couldn't help thinking of the current crisis with Tyson. Was he alright in there? He hadn't known Dragoon's partner very well, but he couldn't help feeling sorry for him. Still, Sanguinax had said that a few weeks rest would see him right. Then he could begin training again. Still, he couldn't help but think that there was something Sanguinax wasn't telling them.

_30 minutes, the blink of an eye  
30 minutes to alter our lives  
30 minutes to make up my mind  
30 minutes to finally decide  
30 minutes to whisper your name  
30 minutes to shoulder the blame  
30 minutes of bliss, 30 lies  
30 minutes to finally decide  
  
_

Music, after so many years without it, it was such a comfort. Rei was such a comfort to him. He looked at this… this angel in his arms, and Bryan knew that things were looking up, no matter how dark they were. How this little one could have forgiven him… Bryan had seen the medical report. Rei almost lost the use of his right arm and leg because of the injuries he'd sustained in their battle.

_Carousels in the sky  
That we shape with our eyes  
Under shade silhouettes casting  
Shame crying rain  
  
Can we fly? Do I stay?  
We could lose, we could fail  
Either way, options change  
Chances fail, trains derail.  
  
_

Carousels, what had the writer meant? Had he/she meant emotions, the emotions of love? The turmoil of… of homosexuality? That was what he was, Bryan realized, so suddenly that he almost faltered on the keys. He was gay. He, Bryan of the Demolition Boys, was gay.

'Can we fly, do I stay?' Just repeating the turmoil suggested in the previous verse. An atmosphere of uncertainty pervaded in boy the melody and the lyrics, sending chills down Bryan's spine. 'We could lose, we could fail,' An explanation of the dangers inherent.

_30 minutes, the blink of an eye  
30 minutes to all of our lives  
30 minutes to make up my mind  
30 minutes to finally decide  
30 minutes to whisper your name  
30 minutes to shoulder the blame  
30 minutes of bliss, 30 lies  
30 minutes to finally decide  
  
_

The situation was laid out clearly in the song. A relationship under fire, in jeopardy from outside forces; such a powerful message in such a short song.

_To decide, to decide to decide to decide  
  
_

The song faded away, leaving chills down Bryan's spine. Rei looked up at him. "Whatcha think?"

Bryan shivered again. "Creepy, but I kind of liked it."

"Me too"


	6. This is Love

****

Blood and Tears

Disclaimer and notes: I do not own "This is Love," by Mary Chapin Carpenter. It is, however, a beautiful song about the meaning of love, which is the point of this chapter. This chapter is also incredibly short compared to some of the other ones I've done.

**__**

Chapter 5- So This Is Love…

The captains of all the teams, plus the Blade Breakers, the All Starz and the Demolition Boys gathered in a meeting after dinner. "I knew this would happen." Sanguinax began. "I suspected from the moment I saw the mark on his neck."

"Then why the Hell didn't you TELL us?" Demanded Michael.

"Because I wanted more information. I don't act on a hunch unless I see evidence supporting it." Sanguinax explained.

"So what should we do about training schedules?" Emily asked, ignoring Michael's impudence.

"No training and normal diet for three weeks. Even at this point he's beyond the stage where you All Starz can present a challenge with your training programs. After all Emily, can YOU bench press eighty pounds?" Sanguinax asked rhetorically.

"I see your point." The littlest All Star nodded.

"I honestly think that he'd be doing better on the Abbey Training Schedule than yours'. That would be more of a challenge to him." Sanguinax explained. "And he'll have to have lessons with me, on how to control his powers and instincts. I think about two hours a day in the afternoons will do. The mornings may be spent with the Demolition Boys, on their training program, to build up muscle strength. He'll also need plenty of nutrients…"

"I thought Vampires didn't eat normal food." Kane said suddenly.

"We do, we suck blood for the ENERGY Kane." Sanguinax explained politely. Then he turned to Emily, who was looking at him curiously, not quite understanding. "You understand what ATP is correct?"

Emily nodded. "It's the energy created by a mitochondrion to carry out Cellular processes."

"Well, Vampires do not make their own ATP, they filter it from the blood of their victims…"

"OF COURSE!" Emily cried, suddenly understanding.

"Of course what?" Lee asked.

Emily grinned. "You know that Cells are made of parts right?"

"Yeah, they're called organelles." Lee said, blinking.

"One of these parts is called a mitochondria. They create chemical energy, ATP for the cell to use in building and maintaining itself. The ATP combines with air and nutrients in a process called Kreb's Cycle. Kreb's Cycle creates more energy than a cell would normally create without the mitochondria. It's necessary for the survival of complex, multi-cellular organisms, like a human being for example." Emily was rapidly drawing up diagrams and equations on a pad of paper. "The ATP is thus necessary for both the absorption of oxygen from the lungs and the absorption of nutrients from digestion. If that ATP were suddenly taken away the organism in question would die from both respiratory failure and starvation." Emily grinned, finishing her equation with a flourish. She passed the paper to Lee.

Lee blinked, looking at the page.

"You'd better not refer to Tyson as an Organism. He'd NEVER let you forget it." Max said warningly.

"The scary thing about that whole explanation is that I actually understood it." Michael sighed, leaning back in the easy chair that he was sitting in.

Sanguinax nodded. "You're actually quite bright beneath your hubris Emily. Your mistakes are always because you don't keep an open mind when it comes to metaphysics."

Emily growled at him, rolling her eyes, "Thanks." She said sarcastically.

Robert laughed. "I'll tell Oliver to cook a normal breakfast for Tyson tomorrow."

Sanguinax nodded. "I'd appreciate it, and I think Tyson would too." The Vampire chuckled, thinking of Tyson's dismay that morning when he'd found steak and eggs instead of pancakes.

Tyson woke, slowly the next morning. He felt energized, much better than yesterday and then he remembered what had happened. Gods, what had he done? Would Kai forgive him? How could he, when Tyson couldn't forgive himself for what happened.

Kai's arms were wrapped loosely around his waist. Tyson closed his eyes, breathing in Kai's scent, amber resin. Tyson looked over the other boy's body, delighting in the feel of Kai's arms around his waist. He remembered their make out session the night before. The bite mark wouldn't be the only mark on Kai's neck and shoulders. Tyson wondered how he'd explain those away.

__

If you ever need to hear a voice in the middle of the night

When it seems so black outside that you can't remember

Light ever shone on you or the ones you love in this or another lifetime

Kai groaned softly in his sleep, before his eyes fluttered open gently. "Tyson? OH!" He cried, trying to disentangle himself. "Oh great, how am I going to explain the hickies away." He grumbled.

Tyson rolled away, burying his face in the pillow to hide his tears. "What?" Kai asked, rubbing his back. "You're still upset about last night?"

__

And the voice you need to hear is the true and the trusted kind, with a soft

Familiar rhythm in these swirling, unsure times, when the waves are lapping in

And you're not sure you can swim, well here's the lifeline

Tyson nodded. He was still in his pants. Tyson yanked on his t-shirt and hat and ran from the room. "NO TYSON!" Kai cursed inventively as he grabbed his clothes from the side of the bed where he'd thrown them and dressed. Then he followed Tyson.

Dragoon's partner was just leaving when Kai caught up. He pulled Tyson into his arms. "Don't leave Tyson, please…" Kai begged.

Tyson turned to Kai, the tears streaming down his face. "How can I forgive myself Kai? Gods, what did I do?"

If you ever need to feel a hand take up your own

When you least expect but want it more than you've ever known

Baby, here's that hand, and baby's here's my voice that's calling

"What you had to do. I'll remind you that just biting a person won't turn them into a vampire, drinking a vampire's blood is what turns a person into a vampire. That's the first thing. The second thing is that I love you, I care about you, and no matter what, I forgive you."

Tyson sniffed, looking up at Kai with wide eyes. He was crying, Kai realized. He gently thumbed the tears away. "Tyson, I love you, and that means that no matter what, I'll take care of you. We'll take care of each other, because we're together. Know where I learned that?"

__

This is love, all that ever was and will be

This is love

"From where?" Tyson asked.

The expression in his eyes, soft with emotion, was so totally unlike what he'd seen before they'd gotten together. Neither of them usually showed emotion towards each other, but his relationship with Tyson had transformed Kai. "From you. During the Dark Dranzer incident, you stayed strong for me, you never gave up on me. And now I am not about to give up on you, because I love you."

__

If you ever need some proof that time can heal your wounds, just step

Inside my heart and walk around these rooms; where the shadows used to be,

You can feel as well as see how peace can conquer

By that time rest of the team and the other captains had come to see what all the fuss was about. Kai lowered his voice softly. "They're here, they see. Do you care?"

Tyson buried his face in the hollow of Kai's neck, wrapping his arms around Kai's waist. Kai held Tyson there, comforting him for a long moment. He gently willed his partner, his boyfriend, strength. They stood that way for a long moment, but Kai already knew what Tyson would say, because Tyson didn't like hiding.

__

Time's been here to fix what's broken with its power and the love that

Smashed us both to bits spent its last few hours calling out your name,

And I thought, this is the kind of pain from which we don't recover

"Let's do it." Tyson said, looking up at him. His face seemed to be glowing, not with energy, but with love. He flushed slightly.

Kai pulled Tyson into a long, tender, passionate kiss. Kai ran his tongue along the inside of Tyson's mouth. Tyson responded, twining their tongues together, one for one. It was no battle for dominance, it was comfort, tenderness.

__

But I'm standing here now with my heart held out to you

You would have thought a miracle was all that got us through

Well baby, all I know, all I know is I'm still standing

They pulled away, Tyson leaned against Kai, slipping his hand into Kai's in a subtle plea for support. Kai squeezed Tyson's hand gently. Then they turned. Kai put an arm around Tyson's waist, Tyson put an arm around Kai's waist, and they walked up the path to the mansion where the other captains stared at them from the steps.

"Hi." Tyson said cheerfully.

__

And this is love, all that ever was and will be

This is love, standing up for you baby, standing up for me

"Something you'd care to tell us Kai?" Hillary asked pointedly.

Tyson looked up at Kai. Kai looked down at Tyson. "Ready?" Kai asked.

__

And I see you still and there's this catch in my throat;

And I just swallow hard till it leaves

Tyson flushed slightly, wiping the tears away from his eyes. "Yes."

"You guys, we didn't tell you because we didn't think you'd like it, but Tyson and I have been dating for six months." Kai said, a blush coloring his cheeks beneath the henna tattoos that he wore.

__

There's nothing in this world that can change what we know

Still I know I am here if you ever need me

"WHAT???" The other Blade Breakers, Zeo, and Wyatt demanded.

Then everything seemed to happen at once. Tyson found himself enveloped in a flurry of activity that he found almost embarrassing. But it was better than being yelled at, being turned on by allies that he thought he knew. But he had thought he'd known them right? And he'd been surprised, in a good way.

__

And this is love

If you ever think of me, let it be around twilight, when the world has

Settled down, and the last round of sunlight is waning in the sky as you

Sit and watch the night descending

Tala threw back his head and laughed. Robert gave him a good-natured thump on the back. ("Good for you, you finally found someone.")

Kane chuckled. "Doesn't matter to me. I'm bi, I'll take anybody anywhere." He grinned wickedly.

Zeo flushed. "You definitely set off MY Gaydar, right Wyatt?"

Wyatt turned beat red. "Zeo you're embarrassing me!"

__

A car will pass out front with lovers at the wheel, a dog will bark out

Back, and children's voices peal over and under the air, you've been there,

Lost in the remembering

Rei grinned, "I'm not upset. I'm with Bryan."

"They know that already." Tala chuckled. "I walked in on the two of you and let Kai know what had happened."

"When when when??" Rei demanded.

He was drowned out by Max's whoop of joy as he glomped Tyson happily. "Yeay! Tyson has a boyfriend! Tyson has a boyfriend!"

"Well, me… um…" Hillary flushed. "I think I'm straight, I don't exactly have a boyfriend, so I couldn't tell you."

"Gee I wonder why?" Kai said sarcastically.

"You're GAY?" Michael demanded. "I would never have KNOWN!"

Lee chuckled. "Congrats Tyson, Kai."

Sanguinax chuckled. "So **that's** why you were so insistent last night."

__

If you ever wish for things that are only in the past

Just remember that the wrong things aren't supposed to last

Baby, it's over and done, the rest is gonna come when you let it

It was all a little much for Tyson. Just for a moment he wished for the solitude of his room. Kai wrapped his arms comfortingly around Tyson's waist. "Glad you didn't leave now?" He asked.

__

And this is love, all that ever was and will be

This is love, when you let it baby, if you let it now

This is love, all that ever was and can be

This is love

"Yes." Tyson said softly. "Yes, I'm glad I didn't leave."

"We have everybody behind us all the way." Kai said softly. "No matter what happens to you, we have the team."

"And we have each other." Tyson said softly, leaning into Kai's grip.


	7. Vampire ahem Biology ahem 101

Blood and Tears 

Notes:  I used the Star System for Charla, she's been in my Yu-Gi-Oh fanfics as an Elimenator. She's mine, but if you want to borrow her you may.

Chapter 6- Midnight… 

Tyson was stirred out of a sound sleep that night. He had curled up with Kai that evening, and they'd both gone right to sleep. But something stirring at the back of his mind woke him. It was almost as if somebody was tickling the inside of his skull, very uncomfortable.

He woke up, looking around. A figure was standing over the bed. She had long, dragonlike wings with the claw thumb of a bat or a pterodactyl. She had claws on her hands. Her long, shimmering green hair hung around her waist like an elegant silk curtain. The figure hissed at him. Another Vampire!

"Get out of here!" Tyson shouted.

That was when Kai woke up. He saw the vampress and screamed.

The Vampire sprang. Tyson leapt from the bed, ramming her with his shoulder. The vampress fell against the far wall, surprised at the strength of one so young. She didn't realize that Tyson had been turned and had been looking for an easy meal.

Instinct took over; Tyson was on her in an instant. Tiny claws sprouted from his hands. Tyson leapt, slashing out, not realizing that he had claws, he slashed at her face.

The vampress shrieked in surprise, then hissed with displeasure. The youngling dared to challenge _her_? The vampress snapped at him. Tyson swung his fist in a right hook. The vampress wheezed as the blow hit home.

Footsteps pounded in the hallway. The lights snapped on. Tyson covered his eyes, crying out in surprise. The vampress shrieked again, this time at the blinding lights. There was a **whoosh** noise. Then another.

Tyson's eyes adjusted, and he removed his hand. Sanguinax and the vampress were poised for combat. Robert and Michael stood in the doorway, blocking escape. Robert had his sword in hand, and Michael carried a baseball bat. Sanguinax threw his cloak aside and opened his own wings, keeping them half folded. **Thwap! Thwap! Thwap! **He used his wings like clubs, batting at the intruder like Tyson had seen swans do in defense of their nests.

Still half blinded by the light, the Vampress ducked. Sanguinax stood over her, taking on a defensive posture. "Charla what are you doing here?" Sanguinax demanded.

"I'm on the hunt San, leave me alone!"

"No, I won't, these are my friends, I won't let you hunt them." Sanguinax growled at her.

'Charla' hissed. "If not them, then who Sanguinax? The hunts must take place, it's part of what we are."

"Centuries ago, perhaps." Sanguinax allowed. "But these are new times, new days."

"I'm hungry Sanguinax, this hunger, you know it. It cannot be resisted!" Charla cried. "I need… energy!"

They were rudely interrupted when Oliver came pelting down the corridor in his pajamas. He ducked between Robert and Michael, saw who Sanguinax was confronting, and cried out. "Charla!??" His tone was one of incredible disbelief.

Charla swung her wings in front of her face. "I must go."

"Charla wait!" Oliver cried. "Don't go!"

"Charla is dead." Charla said, turning towards the open window. "Let me go."

"NO CHARLA!!" Oliver cried despairingly, as the vampress disappeared into the night.

Tyson pulled on a T-shirt over his pajama pants, Kai wrapped his bathrobe around himself and they followed the others to the parlor where meetings were held. Enrique went to brew a mug of hot chocolate. He made one for each of them. "Oliver are you okay?"

The littlest Majestic was shaking like a leaf, tears forming in his eyes. "Charla… she was turned…. I thought she was… that she was dead…." He took a big gulp of cocoa.

"She was turned in the same attack that turned me." Sanguinax said calmly. "From the get go we had a difference of opinion. Oliver, she didn't want you to see her that way, she made it look like she was dead."

"Who is this, Charla?" Tyson asked.

"My older sister." Oliver sniffed. "She was presumed dead, a long, long time before I joined the Majestics." He shivered.

"What did she mean 'hunt?'" Tyson asked. "You mean like feeding?"

"No, not like feeding. If a vampire intends to hunt, he or she intends to kill." Sanguinax explained. "There is a difference. A vampire will usually hunt after sustaining a serious injury, but also when they are carrying a child, and some even hunt for the sheer pleasure of the kill." Sanguinax's tone indicated his distaste for such a venture.

Robert blinked. "You sound like you don't believe it's right."

"When the prey is human, I don't. Where do you think Vampires come from, if not from humans?" Sanguinax asked. "True, some are born vampires, but where did their parents, or grandparents, get it from? No, I hunt animals." He laid a stress on the word animals. "I don't think it's right to hunt anything that can think for itself."

Johnny nodded. "Hey, I understand that." Johnny shivered. "I wouldn't want to kill anything intelligent either."

Enrique wrapped a blanket around Oliver's shoulders. "It's okay Ol."

"No, it's not okay. She's my sister damnit." Oliver leaned into Enrique's grip, still trembling. "All this time I thought that she was dead!"

"You said carrying?" Tyson asked. "You mean… Carrying as in pregnant?"

Sanguinax flushed. "Yes. Every vampire goes into heat for about two weeks every five years."

"But guys can't have kids!" Johnny protested.

Sanguinax flushed deeper. "Male vampires can."

"WHAT??!!!" The Majestics, Blade Breakers, and Michael demanded.

"You heard me. It's not quite a subject for polite conversation." Sanguinax said, trying to close the topic.

Johnny did not want it to be closed. "No, wait, I want to hear this. How does that work?"

Sanguinax shot him an irritable glare. When he saw that Johnny would not be quieted he sighed resignedly, took a long sip from his cocoa and sat down. "Right, remember how I said that Tyson's body is currently rebuilding itself?"

"Yes." Johnny said, looking over at Kai to see if he'd kill him for making fun of his boyfriend. Tyson turned a deep, deep red that Johnny had only seen on his mother's lipstick.

"Well part of that is the… uh…" Sanguinax bit his lip, not wanting to say anything to provoke an argument or offend anything. "Reproductive organs."

Tyson was turning redder and redder. "Johnny shut up!" Kai shouted at him.

"What? Better to know the worst than get a nasty surprise right?" Johnny asked with an evil grin.

"He's got a point." Enrique said tactfully. "Try to be detached about it though. Tyson, just think of it as Biology class, not that he's talking about you. And Sanguinax, try to keep from mentioning Tyson."

"Easy for you to say." Tyson grumbled, but he closed his eyes and tried very hard to think of it as just a class. He was in biology class, and the teacher was teaching him about a new species. That was all. Then he opened his eyes to pay attention to the 'lesson.'

"Right." Michael said, sweatdropping. "You left of where Sanguinax?"

"Gestation takes about three months." Sanguinax said, trying to pick his words carefully. "And a pregnant vampire needs more energy than normal. Other vampires would sense it, so would you Tyson, after a certain amount of time. Then too, besides the new reproductive organs, there's the wings. Tyson turn around for me. I need to make sure that they're growing correctly."

Tyson goggled at him. "Wings?"

"Yes, wings." Sanguinax opened his own. "Each one is about two thirds the length of your body, or they will be once they've grown. That's the most painful part of the transformation process."

Tyson turned around, slipping out of his shirt. Sanguinax ran a hand gently over the area between shoulder joints and the shoulder blades. "They're growing nicely. Is the area sensitive at all?"

Tyson shook his head. "It tickles a little bit."

"Good, they should. Turn around again."

Tyson did as he was told and Sanguinax inspected his right hand. Then he squeezed the tip of his index finger.

A claw, retractable like a cat's, slid from its sheath. "Woah!" Tyson exclaimed. "Where did that come from?"

Sanguinax chuckled, extending his own claws. "We have claws Tyson. Vampires are, after all, a predatory species."

Tyson's eyes turned round. Then he hurried to get his pajama shirt back on. "Then I must have clawed that other vampress, what's her name? Charla?"

"Yes, you did, that's probably why she was so surprised. She wasn't expecting a fledgling vampire to get between her and her prey. My guess is that she was going to kill the first person she came across in her hunting. We're just lucky that it was you guys that she walked in on and not anyone else." Sanguinax chuckled again. "You should have seen the look on her face Tyson."

Oliver sniffed, running his hands through his green hair. "All this time… all this time I thought she was gone… Tyson, Sanguinax, please don't kill Charla!" Oliver begged.

"I won't." Tyson said fervently.

Sanguinax nodded agreement. "Neither will I."

"Well then." Said Robert as he got up from his seat. "Get some sleep everyone, we'll see you in the morning."

Oliver tossed and turned, but he couldn't get to sleep. He was afraid of what might happen to his sister. He was lost and confused not sure what to do next.

"Oliver." Enrique said gently. "You asleep?"

"Nope. I can't sleep, not after what happened to Charla." He rolled over to face Enrique on the bed opposite him.

Enrique got up and sat on the edge of Oliver's bed. "Want me to stay with you tonight? Are you afraid of her?"

"No, I feel sorry for her." Oliver said softly. "And I want to see her so badly."

Enrique nodded. "Hey that's tough." He reached down to stroke Oliver's hair gently. The littlest Majestic leaned into the caress.

Oliver sighed, then pulled Enrique down into a hug. Enrique jumped, startled, then returned it. He felt the air grow heavy, slightly, and a swooping sensation in his stomach. It was almost as if… but no… he was a GUY, Enrique emphasized to himself.

Then he remembered Robert dating Tala. He remembered when they'd told him. He hadn't understood what they could have between them. But now, for the barest moment, he could see what they felt for each other. Oliver snuggled against him.

Enrique blinked in surprise. "That kind of comfort huh?" He asked to nobody. He pulled them into a more comfortable position. Enrique leaned down and kissed Oliver affectionately on the forehead.

Oliver opened his eyes in surprise, looking up at Enrique. "You… you care about me…. you love me?"

Enrique realized that he did, more than any other. "Just you." Enrique said with a soft smile. "Only you… It's the oddest feeling…"

"Then kiss me." Oliver said gently.

Enrique bent down gently, bringing his lips to Oliver's.

The result was incredible. Enrique felt a jolt of pleasure rippling down his spine and along his body. It felt so good, so much better than anything he had ever felt towards a girl. He pulled back, panting. Oliver moaned beneath him, eyes closed, focusing on the pleasure of contact. Then his eyes opened slowly.

"Enrique… take me please…" Oliver begged.

Enrique's eyes widened, then he nodded, leaning down to kiss his team mate again.

Hours later, the two of them had no trouble getting to sleep at all.

notes

Nyassa:  Yeah I cut the scene. Yeah they do 'do it.' That's all I'm gonna tell you. I'm writing this thing for Ty Kamara as well as ff.net. Neither of which allow lemons and Ty Kamara does not allow R rated material.

I did something incredibly stupid. I told my mom my user name. And she begged me not to post R rated stuff too. She said that little kids might be reading it. I'd do anything for my mom and she knows it. So if Mom begs me not to do something, I gotta do it right?

Yami:  Your logic is flawed.

Nyassa:  You sound like a vulcan, humor me just this once Yami-kun?

Charla:  I was a vampire?

Nyassa:  And a good one too. I thought you would prefer a change of scene from Duelist's Kingdom. Right now there might be many people who are confused about Charla. Back when I preferred to write my fics on paper I wrote a Yugioh fic about an eliminator named Charla who was absolutely disgusted with the way Pegasus treated Seto. I needed a random character, and so I had Charla come in. I changed her hair color and softened her accent a little, but other than that, the character is intact.

Yugi:  But what is a Star System?

Nyassa:  It was invented by Dr. Osamu Tezuka, aka the God of Manga. He used a set series of characters and repeated them. For example, the Phoenix was a common figure in his manga on the supernatural. Today the star system is used by many manga artists. For example, the characters in CLAMP school detectives repeat through the CLAMP school chronicles, and the character Anna in Shaman King had her own Manga called Butsu Zone.


	8. Detective Taylor is on the Case! warning...

****

Blood and Tears

Notes: I do not own Beyblades. I do not own the characters of Kouji and Takuya. I have BORROWED them the way I have borrowed Marco, Rachel and Taylor.

I finally got a copy of the Inu-Yasha theme in Japanese. (sings) I want to change the world…

So many reviews! Twelve Reviews! (dies) Here's what some of you said and my responses…

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Thearus (Lazyness, Din't Log in) 2004-06-21 1 _Anonymous__ Wait You Made Kane Bi? Buwahahahahah! So um out of curosity...Whos he paired up with? Evil Laughs Some More Even though he is my faveorite character, I still read fics about him being Bi, Oh Well! -   
  
Great New Chappy, Make Ty Pregnant I just wish through Kai tho...Buwhahahaha!  
  
Ruin/Thearus_

Yes… uh… I did that solely for kicks. But I think I was thinking Kane/Jim in the background.

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_TyKa Forevermore__ 2004-06-19 7 Signed update update update update please please please please i wanna see tyson get pregnant haha dont ask_

I am NOT by nature a Tyka fan. I usually go for ReKa. But I wanted a challenge so I picked TyKa this time. Tyson getting Pregnant. Yes, I think I was on crack when I came up with that. Naw, just kidding. But I wasn't planning on it. Maybe towards the end.

For the record, I wasn't planning on Kai being a vampire. Hm…. I'll think about it. I think I'll have Ozuma try to turn him and mess up.

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Hello Nyassa-san, Its Ruin From Ty Kamara, I found this on FFN, and Decided to add the faves list...Just Loved the part when Kai Said "Ai Shiteru" .   
  
Ruin/Thearus

I'm glad you liked it Ruin-san. I surprise myself every so often with coming up with a fan fiction jewel.

Thank you also to the members of Ty Kamara for their audition bios. You'll be appearing wherever I need apprentices or random creatures. I'll start with Varena, Sara and Ethe first because they're the youngest and I need apprentices most.

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Chapter 8

Max was out for a walk in the woods a Saturday evening later when something crashed into him. "GOT YOU!!" Mariam shrieked in rage. Several punches landed in the vicinity of Max's face. He twisted away, landing a punch in Mariam's stomach. "Your fault!" Mariam shrieked. "Your's!!" She got up to tackle him again.

"**_What _**is?" Max demanded, ducking out of the way.

"If it weren't for you Ozuma would still be normal! He wouldn't be a vampire it's all you Blade Breakers' fault!" Mariam had tears in her eyes.

"Why is this MY fault?" Max asked, standing up and arching an eyebrow.

Mariam burst into tears. "The night after that battle Ozuma was going to go apologize on his own. We heard a scream. We found a vampire trying to hunt him. I launched my Beyblade at him. We all did, trying to get Ozuma away from him. But he knocked Dunga flat and beat off our bit beasts too! Shark Rash got his jugular, and the other three tried too. The vampire blood got all over Ozuma, he was choking on it when we managed to get to him and pull him free. Then he blacked out and when he woke up he was turning! It's your fault! If Ozuma hadn't gone to apologize to you guys then he would still be HUMAN!" Mariam shrieked at him. The Lady Saint Shield sat down on a rock, head in her hands, crying.

Max went over to her, rubbing Mariam's back gently. "It doesn't sound like anybody's fault to me Mariam, just dumb luck. You shouldn't keep things bottled up inside. It's not healthy."

"Max it's not fair! Everything's falling apart. Ozuma barely speaks to anybody anymore. Except when he needs to feed he just hangs around, just doing nothing, or staring out the window. He broods, he trains, he eats, he sleeps and that's it!" Mariam sobbed. "I… I couldn't take it anymore! Somebody's got to do something for him!"

"Have you tried taking him to a doctor?" Max suggested.

"And say what? Doctor my Team Captain's turned into a vampire and it's making him depressed? They'd put ALL of us in the loony bin!" Mariam growled. She slumped, defeated. "He's not… not actively suicidal, but it's like… like he's on autopilot."

"Maybe it would help if we found out what happened to him? Who did it to him? That would at least give him something to growl at, but knowing Ozuma there'd be no closure until something drastic happens. But I think if we could just get him to see being a vampire as a gift instead of a curse, to be glad that he's alive, then he'd feel better about it. At the very worse, Sanguinax might know where a Demonologist is."

"What's a demonologist and who's this Sanguinax?" Mariam asked, blinking in surprise.

"Sanguinax is the Captain of the Dark Bladers and a Demonologist is a doctor who specializes in treating demons and supernatural injuries." Max explained. "Sanguinax is a vampire just like Ozuma."

Mariam brightened. "Is he nice?"

"Yes, why?" Max asked. "You think we'd take Ozuma to him if he weren't?" Max asked with a chuckle.

"No, I suppose not." Mariam said with a relieved smile. "But meeting another vampire might help him feel better about himself, do you think we could take him?"

"I don't know, it might help. But Sanguinax might know where we could get help." Max said, standing straight up. "Come on!" He took Mariam by the hand and lead her back to the mansion.

They intercepted Sanguinax and Lupinax by the pool. Lupinax was swimming and Sanguinax had flopped on his stomach in the sun, wings spread to soak up the warming rays.

"Sanguinax!" Max called. "Look who the cat dragged in." He and Mariam ran over to the fence, facing the cot where he'd flopped over.

Sanguinax rolled over lazily, sitting up. "Yeah Max?"

"Sanguinax, this is Mariam of the Team Saint Shield. You know, Ozuma's team. We were wondering if you might know how to find out who turned Ozuma." Max explained.

Mariam clung to the chain link fence around the pool, eyes round as she stared at Sanguinax's wings. "If you can show Taylor the spot where Ozuma was attacked, she might be able to help you track the turner. Did you find out how it happened?"

Mariam gulped. "It was an accident. He was about to be hunted and we attacked the vampire hunting him with our Beyblades. The blood from the vampire got all over, including in his mouth. That was how he got turned." Mariam blurted the whole tale out.

"Yes…" Sanguinax said thoughtfully. "It did seem like he was being hunted. Come on, we'll take Tyson and Kai along as well."

Sanguinax went into the changing room and came out fully robed. "You might not want people to see too much of you Mariam." He warned. "Females aren't very frequent where we're headed. Marco might decide to cop a feel or two."

"Girl power." Mariam growled. "If this Marco dares I'll beat the crap out of him."

Sanguinax laughed. "Right then, let's get the others."

Kai growled about Mariam's presence, but in short order they were following Tyson down town. "Right, show me the way Tyson. I want to make sure that you know it." Sanguinax instructed him.

Tyson nodded. After a few wrong turns he managed to make it to the correct place.

"There's nothing here." Mariam complained.

Tyson smirked and pressed the correct brick. The door opened, seemingly out of the blue. Mariam shrieked in surprise. Max covered her mouth. "Quiet Mariam, we don't want anybody to see us."

"I don't know what I was expecting, a castle maybe, or a room full of coffins at the least." Mariam muttered.

"It's much more complex than that. It's a castle certainly, of sorts. Only it's underground. Vampire complexes like this are called Warrens. There's one in every major city in every prefecture, state, and province in the world." Sanguinax explained. "The leader of each Warren is the Master Vampire for that region."

They had slipped inside and the door closed silently. Mariam shivered. "Take my hand Mariam, Max." Tyson guided them. "Kai can you find my shoulder?"

Mariam took Tyson's hand. "How can you find your way in here?" She demanded.

"Slip your foot about six inches to your right." Tyson told her.

Mariam's foot met something hard. "What is it?"

"Kai can you let go for a moment?" Tyson asked.

"Sure." Kai answered.

A few seconds later Mariam felt her hand being guided to a smooth, warm stone, cut and polished into a circle. It was unnaturally warm for something so small underground, almost like the radiator that they used to heat the hide out when it was chilly outside. "It's warm." Mariam said in surprise.

"It should be." Sanguinax said from somewhere in front of her. "Vampires can see infrared rays in total darkness for up through eight feet of solid rock. Those orbs mark the path. They're about every three yards along the entrance tunnel. The darkness is to discourage trespassers. But when we have guests it rather hinders things doesn't it?" Sanguinax asked.

"Max here's my hand, take Mariam's and I'll take Kai's." Max's hand held hers and they started forward again.

They seemed to have gone forever when they made it to a door with a slat of light coming through.

"Who goes?" Asked a voice.

"Children of the night Jake." Sanguinax said calmly. "I've brought a fledgling, his mate, and two guests."

The door opened and Jake waved him in.

"Jake here is captain of the guard. Marco is his mate." Sanguinax explained.

"Oh, that guard we ran into our first night?" Kai asked. "I keep forgetting that vampires are bi."

Sanguinax chuckled. "Come on. I'll take you to Cassie and Mai's retreat, they're the demonologists of the group."

They took the left hand tunnel and continued until they came to a double door painted an emerald green and inscribed with a royal purple caduceus. Sanguinax knocked before opening it.

"Cassie?" He called.

A girl who looked about 15 or 16 looked up from her work. She was about five feet tall and had dark skin. Her short hair had been braided into cornrows, which were dyed purple at the tips. "Hi Sanguinax, did you end up getting into a scrap AGAIN?" That last word was drawled menacingly.

Cassie was busy bandaging the wing of a man about 26 or so. He had wings that were different from Sanguinax's, so he couldn't be a vampire. They were midnight blue, and had three tiny claws on the end. His hair was short and blonde, with light red eyes, almost like an albino, but his skin was rather tan looking. He wore black shorts a black tank top, and a red bandana. A red, short sleeved jacket that looked kind of like something Enrique would wear was draped over a nearby chair. An enormous datchi (A/N: A Japanese long sword) was leaned against the chair.

"No, but we have a sort of a puzzle for you. This is Tyson, he and two of his human friends have run into a rather odd enigma." Sanguinax explained.

"Fledgling huh?" The demon asked. "Can't you sense it Sanguinax?"

"Sense what Kyo, I have no time for games." Sanguinax growled. "At least I don't go picking fights, as long as the other party doesn't deserve it that is."

Kyo snorted. "It's not my business, I'll keep out of it."

"You'll hold STILL Kyo, or I'll YANK that wing of yours. Tell Sanguinax how you REALLY broke it."

"Alright, alright. I was on my way to visit some friends of mine in Okinawa when a thunderstorm blew up over the mountains. I got knocked into a tree and ended up getting knocked out. Taylor was the one who found me."

"Saved by a girl." Giggled a young vampire in a nurses outfit. "That's kind of embarrassing Kyo."

"Shove it Varena." Kyo growled.

"Varena, where's Ethe?"

"She went to get a snack. Honestly Kyo. Blown down in a storm?" Varena giggled.

Varena had the most original hairstyle that Tyson had ever seen on a Beyblader, (and there was no denying the launcher holster and pouch that she wore.) Her hair was long and black originally, but partially dyed blue. The blue gradually faded into black down her head. Her bangs had been spiked back and forth, kinda like lightning. She also wore a black choker.

Since she was on duty, Varena had to wear a nurse's uniform. But Tyson did notice the black miniskirt peeking out from under the nurse's frilled robes.

Kyo growled at Varena. "Don't remind me. I'm just telling you that was a FREAK show of a storm."

"Freakshow, fine, but then again, my whole LIFE has been a FREAK SHOW!" Varena shrilled. "So don't expect any sympathy from **me**!"

"Okay children, ease it up." Cassie said, breaking them up. "So what seems to be the problem San? Varena, get Rai, Aeris, Sara, Rikku, Ethe, and Reivan."

"But Reivan's walked the tables already." Varena said, blinking in surprise.

"One can never stop learning Varena." Cassie said with a smile.

Varena brought the apprentices forward before passing around glasses of juice and rolls with some kind of sweet berry baked in. Cassie brought forward chairs and cushions. The journeymen and women gathered around to watch. And the second Master Healer, a buxom female youko with long, wavy blonde hair and fierce blue eyes named Mai gathered around as first Mariam, and then Tyson recounted what had happened. Max wondered what Ozuma would make of this scene.

Cassie stopped Mariam for a moment. "Right apprentices. What would you recommend for Mariam's captain? He's a vampire, he's just been turned a few months, and the trackers just found him. What do you do?"

"I'd get him to meet other vampires." The youngest apprentice, Ethe, spoke up. "Then maybe he'd realize that he's not alone and he shouldn't be so sad."

Rikku, also 11 nodded. "Yeah, they say misery loves company. Why not try it?"

"I'd say take him in, be kind to him. A lot of problems sort themselves out with time and kind care, remember Raoul's toothache?" Sara asked. The girls giggled. "He'd gotten a fishbone stuck on his canines. He thought it was the actual tooth and came to us for a fang trimming!"

Mai chuckled. "Now now students, patient confidentiality remember."

"Maybe we should try getting him into the air." Suggested the journeywoman, Reivan. "Remember how soothing Tobias found it when he first flew? Now we can't get him to come down!"

"But flying is easy!" Rikku protested, fanning her wings. She was an angel by the look of them.

"Hey, not all of us can fly." Protested Ethe, who was a neko-jin. "I wanna fly sometime. I wanna have Tobias take me up in that glider he totes around for training!"

Cassie turned to Mariam. "So, has he attempted to fly yet?"

Mariam nodded. "Ozuma does, just not very often. Only when he needs to. I think it reminds him of what happened."

"What I want to know is who was responsible." Max said, speaking up for the first time. "I take it that not everybody approves of turning."

"Then that's why I'm here." Taylor said, entering the room. "Mariam, Master Vampire Robinson wants you to show me the spot where Ozuma was turned. He doesn't expect that we'll find much, but he wants to check it out."

"Okay, apprentices dismissed for now." Mai ushered them out. "So you're in on this Taylor? I thought that they'd give Taryn that job."

"I'm already working on a case concerning Tyson here." Taylor said, placing a proprietary hand on Tyson's shoulder.

"Did you just say TYSON?" Demanded Rikku and Sara whipping around to see them. "As in THE Tyson?" They squealed.

glomp glomp The two girls squealed, grabbing Tyson by the arms and swinging him around. "Wow it's really you!"

"Can you check my Beyblade?"

"Can I have a match?"

"Can I see Dragoon, just this once?"

"Pretty pretty prettyprettyprettypretty please?" They begged in unison.

"Geez Max you can't escape them no matter where you go!" Tyson protested as Mai and Cassie calmly uncoiled their fingers from around Tyson's arm.

Max rolled his eyes. "You always love the fans, I never thought you had a problem with them."

"As long as they keep their distance. I don't work very well with younger kids."

"Kenny is younger." Max reminded. "And Sara looks only a year or so younger than we are. You ARE fifteen Tyson."

The girls left in a hurry. But Tyson could guess that they were hurrying to gossip with the other apprentices.

"Come on." Taylor told them. "We're leaving for the spot. Right now."

Taylor lead them back up the tunnel and Mariam lead them down several alleys and by streets until she stopped. "It was right here… Taylor-san." Mariam said shyly.

"Man, we were right outside their front door the whole time they were beating the crap out of our bit beasts." Tyson whistled appreciatively.

Mariam rolled her eyes. "Well you wouldn't expect us to stay at a hotel would you? I mean, then you guys might find us. The last place we thought you'd look would be your own stomping grounds."

"It was right here." Mariam kicked up the dirt.

"Right." Taylor closed her eyes. Then she knelt on the ground, picked up a dirt clod, and sniffed. "Let's see if I get this right. He was standing here." Taylor walked about three paces away. "Then the vampire came in from the sky and tackled him against the wall here. That's a standard aerial combat move, the wing slam. Then he batted Ozuma with his wings and missed here." Taylor said, pointing to a gouge in the concrete wall, "That's what created the gouge. Ozuma struggled and had his head turned aside here and was bitten, there's traces of blood on the wall right… here." Taylor sniffed a spot on the wall. "Yup, human blood alright. Ozuma went down on the ground here, probably screaming his lungs out and that's when you guys came along." She said with a smile. "You attacked from this angle here." She said, moving to the left. "And spilled the vampire's blood here. The vampire ran off that way." Taylor finished.

"Wow! That's exactly how it happened! How did you know?" Mariam asked.

"Call me Lady Sherlock!" Taylor said with a grin. "I love a good mystery." She let out her wings.

"Mariam!" Dunga came running over. Then he stopped dead in his tracks. "OH NO! ANOTHER VAMPIRE!"

"Dunga! It's okay!" Mariam ran over, panting. "Please don't tell Ozuma she was here! This is Taylor. She's helping us find the vampire who turned Ozuma."

Dunga blinked in surprise. "There are GOOD vampires?"

"Of course, there's a whole warren of us. We just keep out of sight because we don't want people to attack us." Taylor explained. "We take in demons too." She said with a mysterious smile in Max's direction.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Max demanded. But Taylor ignored him.

"Dunga, you missed it! She reconstructed the whole fight without us even giving her details! It was amazing!" Mariam exclaimed.

"That's what a tracker does." Taylor said smugly. Then she paused, listening carefully. "TYSON GET DOWN!" She shoved Tyson aside as a streak of blue and black fell from the sky and missed him by a matter of inches.

The vampire lost balance, tumbled end over end through the air, and crashed into a dumpster. Taylor ran after him. Tyson gasped. This vampire looked barely older than he was! He had long black hair in a pony tail. It was covered by a blue bandana with brown stripes. He wore a blue jacket and blue jeans but a black shirt. This vampire also was rather fat looking. Then Tyson remembered what Sanguinax had said about male vampires having children and realized that this vampire must be carrying.

"KOUJI!!" Taylor gasped.

"Back off Taylor! Get the fledgling and the demon off of my turf!" The teenage vampire growled.

"Kouji, were you the one that turned Ozuma?" Tyson demanded.

"Who's that? And get out of my territory fledgling! I need to hunt, and I don't want you to get in my way! Or you demon, come back here and you'll be next!" Kouji growled.

"Ozuma, he's got silver hair with a red streak in it, and green eyes and he's about yeay high." Tyson measured the distance from the ground and mimed hair that stuck up in Ozuma's usual spikes.

"Oh that one, the one that got away. I didn't mean to turn him." Kouji brushed the dust off of his jacket. "But then that bitch and her friends got my blood all over, what do you expect to happen if my blood gets on his face huh?" Kouji growled at Mariam. "That really hurt you know. I almost lost the baby because I couldn't sustain him. If Takuya hadn't found me when he did I'd have died along with my child."

"I'm really sorry, but you WERE gonna kill my team captain." Mariam growled.

"Like hell you're sorry bitch." Kouji growled, bristling.

"Koujiiiiiiii!!" Somebody squealed.

A flash of feathery silver wings was the only warning Tyson got before a second winged figure glided down from the sky in a stoop. This kid wore a red jacket, an orange t-shirt, a hat with goggles, and a pair of cargo pants. A round, lavender badge with a green caduceus was pinned to his right shoulder. The badge was edged in silver, which Tyson later learned marked him as a journeyman. Tyson realized that here was a genuine 100% angel.

"Takuya!" Kouji squealed, wrapping his arms around Takuya and giggling. "I was just booting these intruders out of my territory, care to help?"

"Kouji!" said the teen, who was obviously named Takuya. "You shouldn't be picking fights in your condition. You've got a week left until you're due and the child could come at any time!"

"Takuya, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were involved in this." Taylor said apologetically. "We were trying to figure out how a Beyblades Captain named Ozuma had been turned and why. But I think I've figured out what happened."

"I'm really sorry about what happened to your captain." Takuya told Mariam and Dunga. "Kouji was pregnant and needed to hunt, so I let him out. But then I hear him screaming through our link and I find him unconscious." He wrapped his arms around Kouji's waist, running a hand along his stomach. "We almost lost the baby because of the wounds you people inflicted. It's just one of those tragic things that happen. The suffering both sides of this conflict endured was neither your fault nor ours."

Taylor smiled. "Here here. Well, that's a case solved. That must also be why Cassie didn't mention you getting preggy Kouji, because Takuya was taking care of you."

"He IS a Healer journeyman." Kouji remarked dryly.

"Good luck to both of you. And try not to hunt any Saint Shields. Try ANIMALS." Taylor emphasized.

In short order Kouji and Takuya flew back to their roosts and Dunga and Mariam returned to the warehouse where they were staying. As they walked back, Max asked shyly. "Taylor, when Kouji mentioned that one of us was a demon, did he mean me?"

"He might have, but remember that Mariam and Dunga were there too. He could easily have meant one of them too." Taylor replied. "Besides, even if you are, it's up to your parents to tell you that sort of thing, a sort of demonic tradition."

"Oh." There was silence for a moment. "How would I know?"

"You wouldn't Max. Besides, who and what you are doesn't matter. It's what you do with the gift of life that counts."

"I think Ozuma needs to learn that lesson too." Tyson said with a smile. "I learned it a long time ago. Max, that's why I haven't freaked out about being turned. Its as much a gift as a curse."

"I suppose you're right." Max said with a smile. Lesson learned, Max felt as if a warm glow had been lit in his chest. He had met new people. He had learned something new. He had solved the mystery of Ozuma's attacker. And even if there was reason to doubt his own existence, so much else had happened that he didn't care.

The next evening, however, would cast doubt on everything, and turn a warm candle flame into a cold ice cube.


	9. Fledging and Judy's Secret

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Blood and Tears  
**_Chapter 9  
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**Notes**: I have muses now! Check 'em out!  
  
Odd: Hi, my name is Odd and I'm in Code Lyoko. I brought you something Nyassa-san.  
  
Oh, what is it?  
  
Odd: It's an Aelita plushie!  
  
Eeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkk!!!! (glomp, huggle) Aelita (sigh) Me loves her so! She's funny, cute, funny, hot  
  
Jeremy: Mine.  
  
Funny, sweet, innocent, naïve, waii, funny, mine  
  
Jeremy: No, she's mine, or you don't get virtualized  
  
Oh alright, I'll claim Yumi instead. (huggles Yumi) Now beam me up Mr. Jeremy.  
  
Jeremy: Okay, scanning Nyassa… virtualization!  
  
Mwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!! Take that Xana!  
  
Yami: Um… Jeremy, you shouldn't have done that. She's bouncing off the walls now.  
  
Odd: Look on the bright side, she's beating the crap out of Xana's monsters for us.  
  
**THE FIC**  
  
The next afternoon the doorbell went, ding dong.  
  
"I'll get it!" Max said, getting up from where he was watching Rei and Bryan play piano. Zeo had been playing violin with them and Oliver was playing the flute. Between the four of them they filled the room with pleasant sounds. Bryan wasn't too bad for a beginner. Max liked to think that having Rei sit on the bench with him was a boost to his confidence as a player.  
  
Max ran down the stairs to the entry hall. He was not prepared for the unfortunate visitor who had joined them. "uh… hi mom."  
  
Judy was steering a roll away trunk. The kind that one would only pack if they planned a long visit. And long visits were NOT what they needed right now. Especially not from a parental figure. But Judy was his MOTHER, he couldn't just send her away. "Hi Maxie, I thought I'd pay you a visit, since I heard Kai has a lot of room in this mansion of his. Besides, I want to make sure that my team hasn't dropped off in their training." She said with a sly smirk.  
  
From behind him he heard Michael gulp. "Aw coach you shouldn't have, really." That last word was whispered confidentially in Eddy's ear. "Eddy, help, how much training have we REALLY been doing?"  
  
Eddy rolled his eyes. Whispering back he said, "If you weren't working then its your fault if she brings the guillotine down on our necks for laziness." He made a slashing motion across his throat. "We've been keeping up with things coach." Eddy said with a smile of forced innocence.  
  
"Mom, we can handle it ourselves, but come right in. We'll find you a room." Max said cheerfully. "Michael can you take mom's bag for her?"  
  
"Sure coach follow me." Michael said with the air of somebody escorting his least favorite in-laws inside for a visit and hoping that they would turn around and go away.  
  
"Well." Judy said as they led her to her room. "It's certainly pleasant in here." She looked up at the ceiling. "Somebody painted angels on the ceiling, you'd think you were in the Sistine Chapel."  
  
"Yeah." Michael said, looking up. "Me, I think that Voltaire was on crack when he had them painted but hey, if you like them to each his, or her, own right?"  
  
Max purposefully lead his mother to the room furthest from Kai and Tyson's. When Tyson was feeding he and Kai tended to make weird noises, and talk to each other in conversations that would be hard to explain; especially if Judy heard them. He could picture it now, "Oh yeah mom, my best friend is a vampire and my team captain is gay and with him. Yeah that way mom, but hey, don't worry about it.  
  
Judy was settled in, she grabbed a bite to eat, and then hurried off to a meeting with Mr. Dickinson. Max called a hurried meeting in the piano room. "you guys, we're in trouble, mom came to visit and I can't try to get her out of here. Could you imagine what that would be LIKE?"  
  
"She's still a security risk." Kane commented. "What if she finds out that Tyson is a vampire?"  
  
Hillary shivered. "She'd go nuts." Hillary stated the obvious, "And she might not let Max on the team because of it."  
  
Lee blinked. "I've never had a problem with Rei being on the team, even when Tyson became a vampire. It wasn't Tyson's fault after all."  
  
"You're not Judy." Max shivered. "Can you imagine it? She'd get me RIGHT out of there. Besides, you're not one of Rei's parents."  
  
"So isn't there any way…"  
  
"We'll take them to the Warren when they need to feed." Sanguinax suggested. "Tyson can guide Kai down the pitway and I'm sure that we can find them a room."  
  
"I'd hate to sound like something out of Harry Potter but isn't there an abandoned building where we can go to feed?" Kai suggested.  
  
Sanguinax shrugged. "There's a place where Lupinax goes to camp on the full moon. But lots of werewolves go on retreats in that area. It would be too dangerous for anyone but a werewolf to attend from dark of moon to dark of moon."  
  
"What's the dark of the moon?" Asked Robert, blinking in surprise.  
  
"The dark of the moon is the twenty four hour period when the moon looks full, but it isn't quite there yet. There are darks of the moon before and after the full moons." Hillary explained. "Even I know that. They're supposedly the time when magic spells, especially astrological ones, are strongest."  
  
"Not you with your astrology again." Tyson said, rolling his eyes. "This is the girl who would base our actions during a tournament on some astrological mumbo jumbo. I don't believe in astrology. You rule yourself, not some dumb planet."  
  
Robert chuckled. "The dark of the moon is the best time to cast divinatory spells Hillary." Sanguinax commented. "But it's also the time when rituals, including those to do with demons and vampires, are at their strongest. In fact, I think there's a dark of the moon tomorrow."  
  
Tyson rolled his eyes. "My birthday is the day right after that." Max said with a chuckle. "That's probably why mom came. She's probably planning something for my birthday."  
  
"How old will you be Max?" Asked Hillary eagerly.  
  
"Fifteen." Max said with a smile. "It's almost been a year since the world championships. Could it really be that long?" He wondered aloud.  
  
"Seems like just yesterday." Rei said, putting an arm around Bryan's shoulders. Bryan returned the embrace and smiled down at his boyfriend. Then he reached forward and picked up his mug of cocoa from the coffee table. Rei took a long sip before leaning back against the couch with a sigh.  
  
Bryan chuckled. "It seems like yesterday, how cliché can you get Rei?"  
  
"Well it does." Rei chuckled, giving Bryan a playful shove.  
  
"Right, can we stick to business here?" Mariah asked, rolling her eyes. "Boys, can't live with 'em, but the human race can't live without 'em."  
  
Tyson laughed. This was like old times. He knew, though, that exactly a year ago to the day he had battled Robert in order to master the skills that would allow him to beat Tala. He'd even learned the name of the technique; ultimate empathy. When perfected, it allowed a Beyblader to speak to their bit beast in a time of extreme need. It was what brought Dragoon to life, so to speak. He smiled, taking a long sip of the cocoa.  
  
Kai sighed, leaning back against Tyson's shoulder. "You know, it might not be so bad. I mean, the secret will have to come out eventually."  
  
"Not while he's still fledging it won't." Sanguinax growled. "I'm sorry Tyson, but one challenge at a time."  
  
Tyson nodded. "I'm kind of scared to let it out, I mean, beyond the group."  
  
"Like coming out of the closet." Kane agreed. "Took me forever to tell the rest of the team that I was bi. They took it well, but still… it's not always like that. I understand what Sanguinax is saying."  
  
"So we keep it a secret and don't bring this up until after Tyson has fledged." Lupinax agreed.  
  
"That's right." Tyson looked down into his cocoa cup. "It's better that she not know right now."  
  
Max knew he should interpret that comment. But then Tyson hissed, wincing. "Tyson are you alright?"  
  
"Yeah… weird… I just felt… I don't know, a twinge… sort of…"  
  
Sanguinax sat bolt upright. "A twinge? Where?"  
  
"In my shoulder blade, why?" Tyson asked.  
  
"HALALUYAH!" Sanguinax stood up and cheered. "I was wondering when it was gonna happen."  
  
"When WHAT was gonna happen?" Tyson shrilled. He had had enough of unexpected surprises.  
  
"You're fledging Tyson, you're gonna get your wings!" Sanguinax squealed, bouncing up and down on the tips of his toes. "Come on. No, just Tyson and Kai, the rest of you can stay."  
  
"Fat chance." Rei growled, standing up. "I want to come too. I hear they've got neko-jin living in that warren of yours. I want to see some of my own kind."  
  
"Besides, we're a team. We do everything together." Max argued.  
  
Another twinge, painful this time, made Tyson wince. "You guys, whatever you decide to do, do it soon, that one hurt!"  
  
"I'll go with Tyson you guys, but if Judy comes back we'll need someone to run interference." Kai said, standing.  
  
They left the house at a run. Only vampiric strength kept Tyson from breaking down along the way. Tyson almost dragged Kai up the pit way. Sanguinax breezed them past the guard and up the halls to Cassie's infirmary. "Cassie!" Sanguinax called. The healer was nursing a neko-jin with a cold when they came in.  
  
"Sanguinax? What's up?"  
  
"Tyson's fledging, we need to find him a bunk for the night." Sanguinax explained.  
  
"Doesn't he have a room at Kai's place?" Mai asked as both Healers came over.  
  
Another stab of pain made Tyson almost double over. Kai tightened his grip on Tyson's shoulder to steady him. "Max's mother came to visit us. We can't let her find out that Tyson is a vampire, Cassie." He explained.  
  
"Right then. There's a bunk over here and I'll curtain you off, alright?" Mai lead Tyson over to one of the beds. "Take off your jacket and shirt. Your wings need to be unhampered when they come out."  
  
Tyson did as he was told. Then he rolled over onto his stomach, his shoulders were painful to the touch. Cassie ran a finger over two ridges coming out of his back. "Feel those?"  
  
"How could I not? Cassie that hurt!" Tyson protested.  
  
"Sorry." Cassie apologized. "That is where your wings are coming in. When they come out, no matter how tired you are, you have to beat them as hard as you can."  
  
"What happens if he doesn't?" Kai asked worriedly.  
  
"Then they remain crippled. I've seen it happen." Cassie said sharply. "They need to beat to get the blood flowing into them. The blood brings oxygen to the nerves in the wings and they grow strong. Without that blood the nerves die and you can't fly." Cassie didn't seem to realize the unintended rhyme. "So when they come out some time tomorrow morning you need to beat them as hard as you can."  
  
Tyson nodded into the pillow. "Thanks Cassie."  
  
"Don't mention it." Cassie said with a chuckle.  
  
Mai was busy setting up the screens. "I'm lucky, demons don't fledge. They're initiated and that's instant."  
  
Cassie glared at Mai. "I'll have Ethe bring you dinner later. Rui will be in in the morning to check on you. Mai way to make him feel better." Cassie gave her colleague a good natured punch on the arm.  
  
Kai slipped out of his shirt and scarf and climbed into the soft bed with Tyson, supporting his mate against his chest. "Thanks Kai." Tyson whimpered then as another blast of pain ripped through him.  
  
Cassie leaned over him. "The ridges are one inch emerged. Don't worry Tyson, this won't take long."  
  
Kai wrapped his arms around Tyson's shoulders. "I'm with you."  
  
Ethe came in with food, but as Tyson was in pain, he didn't dare eat much. The pain upset his stomach. Kai could joke about it afterwards, but at the moment it wasn't funny. Oh well. It was nothing that Tyson wouldn't laugh about later.  
  
Ethe left, Tyson got the impression that fledging was supposed to be a private moment, because nobody bothered them or came to see who was behind the curtain.  
  
That was a good thing. Because about ten that night according to Kai's watch the door opened. "I found her being mugged by a couple of thugs." Kyo was saying. "I didn't give myself away, and I didn't use the injured wing. But they sure ran pretty quick when they saw my sword."  
  
Cassie laughed. "Kyo don't be a ditz, you know that most humans run for dear life when somebody threatens them with a dachi."  
  
Kyo chuckled. "That's why I used it."  
  
Cassie snorted. "Please sit down miss…"  
  
"Judy." The taller figure shivered. "I'm sorry to bother you. I'm not from around here. I didn't know where the warren for this region was. I'm lucky Kyo came to get me."  
  
"Well, you've got a couple of slash marks on your arms. You sure gave them a run for their money. I'll just bandage these up…"  
  
"Can you speed heal them… um…?"  
  
"Cassie." Cassie supplied. "Sure, do you have somebody waiting for you at home?"  
  
"Yes, several somebodies. But I don't want to spoil my cover and I'd rather not let them know I was hurt."  
  
"So where are you from? You're a youko right? I thought all youko's lived in Japan?"  
  
"I was born in America." Judy explained. "My ex-husband is Japanese. I have a son waiting for me at home. He's not initiated yet. So I'd rather he not know what I am until I'm ready to tell him."  
  
"You gonna make it a special affair?" Kyo asked, curiously.  
  
"No, if I can I want it to be just me and him. I mean, can you imagine the way his team mates would react to him not being human?"  
  
"He's a Beyblader?" Cassie asked, arching an eyebrow. "I'm on a team too, Team Hawk. And Taylor is Captain of Team Demon."  
  
Judy chuckled. "Yeah, I've heard of your teams. My son is the best in the world. Very few Beybladers can beat him." She said with pride.  
  
"Well, be sure to bring him to the Sabbat okay?" Cassie said with a smile. "There'll be Beyblading there as well. It's the Midsummer Sabbat remember?"  
  
"I wouldn't miss it for the world. I hear Japanese Sabbats are a lot of fun." Judy hissed slightly as the bruises protested her arm movement.  
  
"I'll be drumming at it." Kyo said with a grin. "And the other Ryu-jin, plus the vampires are going to do some flight displays. Raoul was upset though, he's a werewolf and the sabbat this year is on the full moon."  
  
"What about the angels? Are they going to come down from that mountain of theirs?" Cassie asked.  
  
"No, they still won't have anything to do with us." Kyo said with a sigh.  
  
"What's this about angels?" Judy asked.  
  
"Well traditionally, the angels, demons, and vampires lived in separate settlements, they'd meet on the sabbats and full moons for a gathering. But the angels had strict laws, preventing them from marrying demons." Mai explained, yawning as she came in.  
  
"But not so long ago an angel named Bakura insisted on marrying one of the dragon demons around here, named Ryou. Some of the angels, specifically two named Yami and Ishtar insisted on following Bakura, marrying into the demon clans around here. Their attached kin and closest friends insisted on following them to the warren. Ever since, not a single angel has shown up at the sabbats." Mai explained. "I've attached one of them myself. My mate's name is Tea. She's got a way with people, so she's apprenticed under the philomats." Mai finished.  
  
Tyson sooo wanted to ask what a Philomat was, but Kai pinched him. Tyson looked up at him. Kai put a finger to his lips. He mouthed, 'Ask later.'  
  
Tyson nodded, then hissed as another wave rocked him.  
  
"That's that Judy, glad to see you. You will be coming right?" Cassie asked hopefully.  
  
"Yes, gladly." Judy said with a smile. "I'm sure Max will enjoy it too." The shadow behind the curtain that was Judy stood up. "Thank you very much."  
  
"You're welcome." Judy left.  
  
"Cassie." Kai said, shifting Tyson in his arms so that Dragoon's partner could see Cassie's sillouette against the curtain. "What's a Philomat?"  
  
"A philosopher/diplomat." Mai said, speaking up. "A Philomat has many duties, including damage control if somebody finds out about us who shouldn't."  
  
"Sounds very exacting." Kai commented.  
  
Mai laughed. "Tea's got a very exacting personality. She's not high maintenance, but she's got incredible energy." Mai shivered and Tyson guessed cynically that Tea had energy in bed too. He giggled.  
  
Then another wave rocked Tyson and he screamed in pain. "Ouch, that was NOT funny."  
  
Mai checked the wing growth. "Hm… should be done soon. Has Cassie told you what to do?"  
  
"Yeah, when my wings finish growing flap like Hell." Tyson grunted. Kai held him close. "I'll be okay Kai, but keep squeezing me like that and you'll choke me to death."  
  
Kai loosened his grip, but only slightly. "Tyson I AM worried about you, VERY." Kai nuzzled him gently.  
  
Mai smiled knowingly and pulled back behind the curtain. "Tyson, did you know that woman?"  
  
"Yes." Tyson said shyly. "She's one of my teammate's mother."  
  
"Hm… I thought as much. Max IS a demon Tyson. I sensed it when he came in yesterday. But a demon's initiation is a very private thing. Tyson you can't tell Max before his mother does. Promise me you won't." Mai said worriedly.  
  
"Mai." A female voice said. Tyson saw the silhouette of a girl with shoulder length hair, a thin waist, and a shapely body step into the infirmary tentatively. "I hope I'm not interrupting, but I'm going to bed in a half and hour and if you're not there you're sleeping on the COUCH!"  
  
"I'm coming Tea." Then Mai turned back to them. "See you in the morning."  
  
Tyson chuckled. "But… Max… I want to be with him when Judy tells him." Tyson said worriedly.  
  
"Tyson, Max can handle himself." Kai assured him. "It's gonna be alright."  
  
"I hope…. AH! So." Tyson jerked upright as pain rocked him. "Ow… that was SO not funny."  
  
"It's okay." Kai stroked Tyson's hair. "Hey, the wings are about three inches out. This will be done in no time!"  
  
"I hope so."  
  
They lay in silence for a time. Tyson took comfort in Kai's warm, strong grip. It wasn't too bad, he thought, considering that he'd be able to fly soon.  
  
Then Tyson felt it, a sort of a jerk in his back. "OW!" He cried. Something was moving around under the skin, pulsing. It hurt! It hurt! Tyson began to panic. "KAI!" He cried. His wings! They were finished!  
  
"Tyson!"  
  
The damp wings burst free from Tyson's back and fell, limp. "Flap them Tyson!" Kai cried.  
  
"HOW?" Tyson demanded, despairing. "I've never had wings before! How do I flap them!?"  
  
Tyson struggled, getting only a twitch out of them. He tried to stand, but his legs got tangled up in the blankets and he fell to the ground. Kai caught him, wrapping an encouraging arm around his waist. "You HAVE to try Tyson!" Kai said, an edge of worried panic to his voice. "You have to try!"  
  
Tyson was aware of a choking sensation in his back. Time was running out! He had to move his wings!  
  
Then Kai's Beyblade began to glow. Tyson!! A deep, rich female voice called out to him. Tyson, it's Dranzer listen to me!  
  
The pain renewed itself in his shoulders, and Tyson knew his time was almost up. Dranzer! Tyson called out in his mind. What are you doing here??? Where are you?  
  
I'm speaking through Kai's mind Tyson. You have to let me control you! I can teach you how to move you're wings, but you have to trust me! Dranzer's voice carried the same edge of worry that Kai's did.  
  
Trust a bit beast to control him?? But look at what happened to Kai with Dark Dranzer. Look at what happened to Wyatt and the Psykicks!! 'You have to trust me.' Dranzer had said. Could he trust? The pain was overwhelming. Do it! Tyson cried.  
  
Tyson felt control slipping away from his legs, which grew stronger, holding on tighter and gaining the correct balance. His arms loosened their grip on Kai's shoulders. Tyson's eyes went blank as Dranzer took control. "Tyson no!" Kai cried, terrified that it was Dark, and not normal Dranzer that was taking his koi from him.  
  
"It's alright Kai. It's Dranzer. Tyson needs help." Dranzer said, using Tyson's mouth. Dranzer wasted no more time, flapping Tyson's wings as hard and fast as he could. Kai had to shield his face against the wind of Tyson's wings. Dranzer had closed Tyson's eyes to focus on leaving the information in his mind.  
  
"Dranzer don't!" Kai cried. "Don't take him away from me!" Kai kept seeing flashbacks, of Dark Dranzer in his terrible glory, of Wyatt's horrible encounter with the Cyber Bit Beasts, of the fear and awe-inspiring battle in the tower.  
  
"He's alright Kai… Just a little more…" Dranzer said, straining every ounce of control she had. There! Tyson fainted, falling into Kai's arms. I put him to sleep Kai. He'll wake up tomorrow morning, fully transformed and ready to return. A telepathic yawn resounded in Kai's head. That took more out of me than I realized, sleep now. Kai's Beyblade stopped glowing.  
  
Kai carefully guided Tyson into bed, secure in the knowledge that his koi would fly. But would Dranzer take the liberty to control him, or Tyson again?


	10. Open the wings of the fallen

**Blood and Tears**

By Nyassa Kaiba

**_Chapter something or other_**

Tyson woke up, feeling different somehow. Then he remembered. Last night he had wings! They moved without him thinking now. Dranzer had taught him how to move his wings, and move they did, with a soft rustling sound as he tried to get up without waking Kai.

Kai stirred. "It's early yet love, stay with me." Kai murmured, half asleep. Tyson settled down again, curling his new wings around them. They were kind of furry, like a bat's wings. They were jet black and had ribs in them that moved like fingers. There was a tiny claw on the ends. Tyson wondered briefly if he'd be able to hang upside down from the ceiling with them. Then he dismissed the idea as stupid.

He leaned forward to kiss Kai gently on the lips. "Morning love."

Kai's eyes fluttered open. "Tyson, you're awake."

"Mmhmm." Tyson said with a soft smile and a nod. "And thanks to Dranzer I'll be able to fly."

Kai sighed, running his fingers through Tyson's hair as his mate moved his way down Kai's neck, leaving little love bites. Kai leaned back, giving Tyson more access. The young vampire growled softly, sucking at the skin. To Tyson, Kai tasted like cinnamon.

The blood cravings came again. This time Tyson didn't fight them, he nipped at Kai's neck, penetrating the skin gently. Kai moaned as Tyson hit a nerve and wriggled a bit to get comfortable. "Eat love." Kai whispered softly in Tyson's ear. "Then we'll head home."

"Yes." Tyson murmured around his fangs. "Kai, I love you." He whispered softly.

"And I you, little dragon." Kai said as he stroked Tyson's hair gently.

After about five minutes Tyson pulled back, licking up the last drops of blood to escape the cuts. "I'm actually getting used to this."

The door slipped open. "Are you alright in there?" Asked Mai.

"Sure." Tyson and Kai chorused.

"Good. Tobias come in here and have a look at his wings." She called. "Tobias is our flying teacher. He's a Ho-oh, a phoenix demon." Mai peeked around the edge of the curtain. "You two are alright in there aren't you?"

"Fine." Tyson said, sitting up. "And fed too."

"Good, Tobias wants to have a look at your wings." Mai said as she rolled away the curtains.

Cassie came in behind Tobias with a yawn. "I'm gonna do my rounds." She said, yawning again.

"Rachel giving you some?" Mai asked, giving Cassie a friendly poke before dawning her white coat.

Cassie glared at her. "It's really none of your business."

"Whatever you say. Personally, I think the two of you make a cute couple. And you'd have lots of little happy Rachels and Cassies."

Cassie snorted.

Tobias had a deep tan and dirty blonde hair with red streaks. He looked about 18 or so and was tall and skinny. He was shirtless and wore tight denim shorts. A pair of scarlet and gold wings were folded over his back, dragging slightly on the ground. "So you're the Blade Breaker they're making such a fuss over." He said to Tyson as he bent down slightly Tyson sat up on the hospital bed. "You sure look awfully small. Mind spreading your wings for me?"

"Don't mind at all." Tyson said as he opened his wings. Tobias started running his hands along the bones. "Hmm… bones seem to be intact, if a little light for a vampire. He pushed on the 'thumb' on the wings. "That hurt?" Tyson shook his head. Tobias continued down the wing. Tyson shivered, giggling. "Tickles?" He asked.

"Yeah, the wing seems tobe more sensitive than the rest of me."

"That's normal." Tobias said, starting on the other wing. When he finished it he said, "Flap for me."

Tyson tentatively moved his wings. Kai slipped out of the way, pulling his shirt back on. Then he began to flap, feeling the power in his wings, the pull of the air. Tobias' bangs fluttered away from his face. "Woah, good spread, really powerful." Tobias said, clapping. "Okay, I think they're gonna be okay. The bones are a little thin, but some calcium in your diet for a week or so ought to take care of that in a hurry. But you want to be careful not to break the bones, yours look like they could break easily."

Tyson nodded. "Thanks for looking them over."

"You're welcome." Tobias stood, stretched and turned to Mai. "He's alright. I'll start teaching him tomorrow night." He turned to Tyson. "I'll meet you under the bridge at nine tomorrow night. Lessons will be once a week. It's harder to fly at night, but this area is so populated that we don't have any choice." He slipped out of the room as quickly as he had come.

Mai chuckled as Tyson stared after him. "Tobias is rather mysterious. But he's a nice kid."

Tyson nodded. "Um… Mai, how do I hide my wings. I mean, they're kind of obvious and I need to get back to the house."

"Pull them in." Mai explained. "The instinct should be there."

Tyson closed his eyes, looking for the part of his instincts that would help him hide his wings. Then he found it and felt his wings pull inside of him with a sucking sound. "Thanks." Tyson told her. He reached for his shirt and jacket.

"You're welcome. I've got rounds to do, but if you need help, don't be afraid to call. Or if Cassie and I are busy we'll send Reivan to help, she's good with wings."

Tyson and Kai emerged, fully dressed, into the morning sun. As they walked Tyson couldn't help his wings twitching inside of his shoulders. "Man, this is going to take some getting used to. My wings keep twitching under my skin."

"That's okay, you can let them out once we get home. Besides, the other Blade Breakers will want to see them." Kai paused, looking beyond Tyson.

"What is… oh Hell." He said, as he noticed Mariam barring their path.

"What is it NOW?" Tyson whined.

"I just wanted to let you know that Ozuma is pissed that Joseph helped you escape him. He's plotting again, I don't know what, but he's getting ready to attack again. Be on your guard." And with that Mariam whirled and slid down the embankment to the track along the river.

"Oh Hell, that's the last thing that I need." Tyson rolled his eyes again.

"It could be worse. We can handle Ozuma, we've taken him down before. What we can't handle is you getting hurt." Kai gave Tyson a hug, pulling him into his arms.

Tyson shivered, "Thanks Kai."

"For what?"

"For being there for me, the whole way. I think I would have broken down by now if not for you." Tyson said with a sigh. They walked down the street, holding hands.

When they got back Kai called a meeting, the blade breakers gathered in Tyson and Kai's room to see Tyson's new wings. To Kai's surprise Judy had come along. "Right, so what's this all about?"

"Did she HAVE to come?" Tyson asked petulantly.

"Mom insisted." Max said with a sigh.

"Oh great."

"So what exactly is going on?" Judy asked.

Tyson sighed. "No use hiding it now." He said. "Ozuma turned me into a vampire." He said, as he slipped out of his shirt and opened his wings.

Judy gasped, taking a step back. "You should have told me, oh Tyson that's awful." She took his hand. "I really wish you guys had come to me sooner, I could have helped."

"You're not freaked out mom?" Max asked, amazed.

Judy sighed. "Max, there's something I wanted to tell you." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Judy's body began to glow, then her form flowed. When the light died Judy's hair had turned pale silver. Her ears had slid up the side of her head and had become fox ears. Her nails had lengthened into black, claw like forms, and she had sprouted a fox's tail.

Max drew back in horror. "Mom… you're… you're…"

"I'm not human Max. I'm a youko, and so are you." She pulled Max into her arms.

Max drew back. "I'm not! I'm human! Human!" He shouted as he ran outside. The door slammed behind him.

"Max… max come back!" Judy cried, tears falling from her eyes. She started after him.

"No, Judy I'll go." Tyson said, striding after Max.

He found Max out in the gardens. "Max, will you listen to me?"

"Go away Tyson." Max said, burying his face in his hands.

"Max I won't go away. And this won't go away unless you confront it." Tyson crouched down next to Max, curling a wing protectively around him.

"But… I mean… I feel human… I look human…" Max looked down at his hands, first at the backs, then at the palms.

"But you aren't. Max its nothing to be ashamed of. Look at me, at least you don't have to drink blood, or at least I don't think you do." Tyson said, giving Max a pat on the back.

Max shook his head in confusion, tears streaming from his eyes. "But Tyson that's just it. All these years the one thing that I've taken pride in is the things that make us human, love, compassion, teamwork, friendship, and yes, even hurt and pain. And then here I am and I find out that I'm not human at all."

"I don't know what to say to you Max. But there's no reason why you can't be a youko and still feel all those things. Look at Zeo. He's an android, but he still feels."

Max took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and stood, wiping at his tears. "You've got a point."

"See, so don't be so upset." Tyson said standing after him. "Now how about we go talk to your mother. She was really upset that you ran out on her like that."

"Okay." Max said, wiping his eyes.

They found Judy crying, with Rei doing his best to comfort her. "He's back Judy, see, just like I told you."

Judy looked up. "Maxie!" She cried, pulling him into her arms.

"How do I do it?" Max asked.

"How do I do what?"

"How do you transform like that?" Max asked, a tremor in his voice as he steeled himself for what was to come.

Judy pulled Max into her arms, trying to gain and give strength to him. "Right, close your eyes… no don't squeeze them shut, close them lightly…" Judy placed two fingers in the space between Max's eyebrows and closed her own eyes. "From generation to generation, the legacy lives on… and the torch is passed… NOW!"

Max began to glow, blindingly so. And when the light faded, he had a tail sticking out of his shorts, his ears had slipped to the top of his head and become pointed, furry fox ears. His eyes had changed from blue to a startling liquid green. His fingernails had grown and turned black. "Wow." Max said as he patted himself over. "Man this is weird."

Rei obediently held up a mirror. Max touched his ears. "You actually look kind of cute." He remarked. "Seriously, the whole fox thing rocks."

"Right." Max sighed. He so wanted to be with Michael, and the "fox thing" might be off putting. Why did Judy have to pick now? He was so close to getting the one person that he wanted most into his bed. Why why why? Max sighed, sitting down on the chair near the room's desk.

"You still don't look thrilled." Judy pointed out. "Need to talk about it?"

Max shook his head. "I'm okay mom." Yeah right Max, the Blade Breaker thought. Talk to her. Max stood and pulled his mom into a hug. He wanted comfort more than anything. His mom had survived the loneliness that he felt now. Max needed that comfort.

Judy smiled sadly. She knew it would be hard on her son, to know what he did now. But it was for the best, because anything else would be living a lie. It was better to be honest with the people close to you than to lie to them.

That was what Judy had to explain at the meeting that evening. "So you see, I had to let him know what he was." She finished.

"Coach, don't get me wrong, but Max doesn't look very happy about it." Michael pointed out.

"I'm not, but it can't be changed can it?" Max asked. He sighed, leaning back against the couch in the meeting room. Michael looped an arm around Max's shoulders in a subtle gesture of support. Max leaned into the grip. His fox ears twitched slightly, as he heard the sound of Michael's heart beating in his chest, the sound of his breathing. That was one thing, he could hear much better than he used to.

Kai shook his head, recognizing the emotion on Max's face, even if Michael didn't. Max would probably get himself in deep trouble with the All Starz Captain. He just knew it.

That night, Michael walked Max back to his room. Now was his chance, Max thought. He could have Michael that night. Max felt his body go still, ready to… to… Max shook his head to clear it. "Something wrong Max?" Michael asked.

"Michael, has there ever been something that you wanted to say, and couldn't?"

"Couldn't how?"

"Something you couldn't bring yourself to say, because you were worried about what people would think?" Max sighed, they were almost to his room. Rei had moved in with Bryan, so Max had the room all to himself. This would be the perfect opportunity, if only he knew for sure… something in him felt, yearned for the other's touch.

They stopped outside of Max' door. Michael stroked Max's hair tenderly. Max leaned upward into the caress, ears turned back as he snuggled into Michael's chest. "What is it? What's got you so wound tonight?" Michael asked as he pulled Max to him.

"Michael… I…" Max couldn't take it anymore. He pulled Michael's head down to kiss him.

The All Starz captain froze, but, to his credit, he responded to the kiss with such fervor, that Max couldn't help letting out a moan. Michael pushed him up against the wall, dominating the kiss. It felt so good, to be held, to be loved. And there was a yearning, an incredible yearning that nothing seemed to quench.

Max opened the door and, leading his new boyfriend inside, flopped down on the bed. "If you knew how long I wanted you." Max told Michael. "Take me now… please?" Max begged.

Michael gasped. "Max… you… all this time?"

Max nodded. "I have loved you, since longer than I can remember."

Michael gently, leaned back into another kiss, fervent, passionate. Max felt himself wrapped up in sweet surrender. It felt so good. Max started unbuttoning Michael's jersey, slipping off his hat and tossing both onto the floor. Then he lifted himself off the pillows for the other to remove his shirt. The need was incredible, intense, stronger than anything Max had ever felt. His body craved Michael's touch.

Clothing flew, and the two of them fell into a passionate tangle of limbs and grunts and moans. Max wasn't quite sure when the blood lust entered the scene. They were together, in heart mind and body, in the throws of passion, when something deep inside of him told him to bite Michael, to drink his blood. Max, having little self-control, obeyed the biological command. Michael hissed at the bite, but he didn't pull away and Max fed until he was sated.

They met in passion, climaxed in beauty, and a few hours later they lay in bed, limbs tangled, bodies cooling from the passion. Max shivered in pleasure as he snuggled up to his sleeping lover. It felt so good, so right!

Max felt it then, a tiny pulse beneath his own aura. Judy had taken the time earlier to explain about auras, and teach him how to monitor his. This… this was like a tiny flame had been lit inside of him, warm and inviting. He concentrated on the sensation. It was… pleasant, almost joyful. Max closed his eyes, sleeping peacefully.

Surely this was something good. He and Michael were together, and they would be for a long while. What could possibly go wrong?

Unfortunately, one should never ask that, for when you do, something inevitably does go wrong.


	11. Flying Lessons

**Blood and Tears**

By Nyassa Kaiba

_Chapter 11- Flying Lessons…_

At that very moment Tyson was hidden under the bridge across the river where Tobias had told him to wait. He listened to the night sounds, frogs mainly, but some birds and even an owl too. Suddenly. "BOOGADA!" Somebody grabbed him around the waist and threw him up in the air. Tyson let out a shriek as he fell into the river.

Tobias stood on the bank, cackling in glee. "You should have seen your face! It was priceless!"

Tyson climbed up onto the bank. "Gee, thanks."

Tobias tossed him a towel and Tyson shook the water from his wings before drying the rest of him. "What did you do that for?"

"Because I can. Now listen." Tobias took a stick and began to draw in the dust near the river bank. "Repeat after me, hot air rises, cold air falls, these are thermodynamic laws."

"Hot air rises, cold air falls, these are thermodynamic laws." Repeated Tyson.

"Wanna know what it means?" Tobias asked, standing back from his diagram. "Here, have a look. This is how we get wind. See? The sun warms the ground, and the hot air rises. So cooler air moves in to take the place of the warm air. The movement of air currents creates winds. That wind is what we need to fly. You're lucky, a vampire's eyes can see heat. So you can see the rising hot air. We call a pillar of hot air a Thermal. Can you repeat that for me?"

"Rising hot air is called a thermal."

"Good, riding a thermal is like getting a free ride up the ski lifts. That's good, because when you're flying, altitude equals speed. Got that?"

"Altitude equals speed, got it." Tyson repeated. "Tobias, is that why you said that the flying isn't very good at night?"

"That's right, because at night the ground cools, which means that there are no thermals and you have to work harder to fly farther. But…" And he tousled Tyson's hair with a chuckle. "It also helps you build wing muscle. Now that I've taught you the basics of flight I'm gonna get into the practical. Take off your jacket and shirt and open your wings. I'm gonna take you on your first…"

"Tyson!" Kai came running, panting. "Hi Tobias, I'm sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to see Tyson's first flight."

Tyson opened his wings and curled them around Kai, pulling his lifemate into a kiss. Kai returned the kiss with fervor and passion. "You nervous?" He whispered.

"Yeah, but I'll have to learn sometime." Tyson replied.

Kai kissed him on the forehead. "That's the spirit. I'll be waiting."

Tobias gave an **ahem** noise. "Sorry to bust things up for you turtledoves, but we have work to do."

"Right." Tyson turned away from Kai, putting a safe distance so that he didn't risk hitting his boyfriend with his wings.

"Flap your wings, get up some lift, and then jump as high as you can." Tobias instructed. He crouched and began to flap, before launching himself into the air. He turned, hovering in front of them, on a level with the bridge. Tyson repeated what Tobias did and leapt into the air. "Right, let's go. We're going to the Hiwatari construction warehouse and back."

"That's the Blade Sharks' old hangout isn't it?" Tyson asked.

"Yeah, the place with the pile of broken beyblades in it." Tobias agreed. "It's a short flight there and back but it takes about fifteen minutes to reach on the ground from here." Tobias turned to the northwest and Tyson fell into line with him. "So, what do you think of flying Tyson?"

"It's amazing!" Tyson said, amazed. "It's incredible, I never thought it could be this good." Indeed, Tyson was trembling slightly with joy. He only wished that Kai had wings, that way they could fly together. Then he didn't want to think of it that way, because that would mean that Kai would become a vampire, and somehow, Tyson didn't want to put his mate through that. Maybe when he became strong enough he could scoop Kai up, carry him into the air.

"That's the spirit!" Tobias cheered. "Hey, we're almost there." They circled above the Blade Sharks warehouse. Tyson's shadow fell over the courtyard, he saw Carlos sitting on an old cushion with his back to the wall. As Tyson's shadow fell over the blade shark he woke and stared in wonder.

Laughing, Tyson did a barrel roll and flew a corkscrew around Tobias. "That's the spirit!" Tobias cheered.

Down below Tyson saw Carlos' mouth open in a scream. "I think we'd better go, he's screaming and I don't want to be here when the other Sharks come after him." Tyson said as he swung into a cloud.

"Hey wait for me!" Tobias cried as he darted into the cloud behind him. Tyson noticed that every flap of Tobias's wings made a flash of fire, easily visible through the cloud.

"Cool, how do you get your wings to do that?" Tyson asked.

"I AM a phoenix demon." Tobias pointed out. "I have power over fire. My wings do that naturally." Then he paused. "Let me see if Carlos is gone, we need to land on the roof and take a rest before I take you back, okay?"

Carlos was inside, and as Tyson landed on the roof he heard Carlos protest. "It's true! I swear it! A dragon and a phoenix were flying around above the warehouse."

Stuart gave a snort. "Right, and Tyson has wings."

Tyson giggled, covering his mouth to stop the sound.

"But it's true! I swear it!" Carlos protested.

"Right, Carlos, I think you've been on watch too long, I can't sleep, I'll take over." Casey volunteered.

After about five minutes Tobias turned to Tyson. "Right." He whispered. "I'm gonna teach you the drop off take off. You fall, and then beat your wings, like this." Tobias demonstrated.

Tyson did as he was shown, and found that this was a much easier way of gaining altitude. Tyson lifted off, saw the changing of the guard, and flew off.

Kai was waiting for them under the bridge, skimming rocks across the river. Tyson came in quietly after Tobias and glomped his boyfriend. "Hey there Kai! Guess where we went?"

"Where?" Kai asked, turning around for Tyson to hold him.

"We flew to the Blade Sharks hide out. And Carlos saw me while he was on watch. And he thought I was a dragon!" Tyson giggled. "I landed on the roof and listened to him freak out. The other Sharks thought that he was seeing things!"

Kai chuckled. "I'll bet you loved that." Kai remarked.

"You're right. I did. Care to come home with me and celebrate?" Tyson asked.

"Next week, same day, same time." Tobias gave Tyson a pat on the shoulder. "Have fun."

"I will." Tyson smirked as he pulled Kai into a kiss. He flopped on the grass and pulled Kai on top of him. "I'm a bit tired love." He smirked as he nipped Kai's ear. "And hungry."

Kai chuckled. "For food or Food?"

"For food. And I want it NOW!" Tyson said cheerfully as Kai stood and handed Tyson his shirt and jacket. "Let's go then, unless you want to fly."

"I don't think I'm strong enough to carry you yet." Tyson replied. "But when I am you wanna go for a fly?"

"I'd love to." Kai smiled warmly, giving his koi a kiss on the cheek.

"Great, hold you to it." Tyson said with a smirk.

They made it home and Kai made cinnamon hot chocolate for them both. It was a favorite of Kai's, the spice adding a sharp flavor to the sugar. Tyson finished his quickly, while Kai savored his cup. But eventually they were both finished. Tyson leaned over from where he was sitting next to Kai and kissed him on the lips.

Kai gasped, returning the kiss. His body felt so still, the way it did when they made out. Neither of them had had sex yet, and Kai had been hoping to save it for a special time, but what could be more special than Tyson's first flight?

"Ty-chan… what we talked about? Is your first flight… special enough for you love?" Kai asked shyly.

Tyson responded with an even more passionate kiss and a hand sliding up Kai's thigh. Now this wouldn't do. Kai thought. I'm gonna be on top in this. Next time I'll let him but… "Mmpph!" Kai let out as he pushed Tyson up against the wall, groping him with one hand, the other running through his mate's nappy black locks.

They parted for air, panting. "Bed?" Kai asked.

"Hell yeah." Tyson moaned.

Kai grabbed Tyson by the hand and ran up the stairs to the corridor with their room. Unfortunatelythey passed Max's room. That was when he heard. "Michael… oh… more more! Faster… Michael… oooooooaaaaahh!"

Kai put a finger over his lips in a signal to be quiet and they tiptoed past the room. "Max is getting laid!" Tyson giggled when the door shut behind them.

"So are we, so don't tease."

"That's true, but gods he needed it. It must have been awful being the only one of us without a mate." Tyson flopped back on the bed, pulling off his shirt and still damp clothes.

Kai was more interested in watching Tyson's muscles ripple beneath his skin. "I'd rather talk more about you." He said as he stripped to his underwear and climbed on top of Tyson. His breath, hissing in Tyson's ear, "Or maybe not talk at all… koibito." And Kai pulled Tyson into a slow, heated kiss.

"Maybe silence is best." Tyson agreed.


	12. Wierd Ain't It?

**Blood and Tears**

By Nyassa Kaiba (a.k.a. Nyassa Kai's Clone)

Notes: I can't believe I did it.

Yami Bakura: Can't believe you did what?

I made Max get pregnant.

Yami Bakura: WHEEEEEEEE! Fun! Any self respecting Max yaoi fan will get a kick out of this!

**Chapter 12- Weird ain't it?**

Max woke about eleven the next day. Everybody was off training. Michael was still asleep. There was a note on the bedside table. Max picked it up. It read. Gone training. Have fun. –Tyson With a weird smiley face sticking its tongue out in the margins. Max set the note back down and snuggled closer to Michael. He felt a bit… nauseated, a bit disoriented.

Michael stirred, wrapping an arm tighter around Max's waist. Pretending to be asleep, the older boy started licking along Max's jawline. It tickled, Max giggled as Michael worked his way up to his lips. Max responded to the kiss, a bit shy over what had happened last night.

Michael took that moment to open his eyes. "Hey."

"Hey." Max said with a slow, shy smile.

"You okay? I mean…" Michael flushed.

"I'm fine." Max pressed his face into the hollow of his koi's neck. He reached into his aura, yes, the tiny throb was still there, stronger this time. "Just a little disoriented."

Michael pressed a hand to Max's forehead. "You don't seem to have a fever. Hey, maybe it's just virgin jitters." Michael kissed his new koibito on the forehead. "I had those last night."

"You? Still a virgin?" Max snorted. He buried his face into the other blonde's hair. "You know, you really should have left your hair red. I liked it better that way."

"Took too much time to style the bangs in the morning… love." Michael said, trying the word out on his tongue.

Yes, Max thought, 'love.' He pulled his lover into a long, tender kiss. "If you knew how long I wanted you…"

"Until I heard about Kai and Tyson I… I never thought about guys like that. But then… I thought about it, and I wondered what it would be like… to… to be with you." Michael was having a hard time finding words for what he felt. That was okay with Max, they'd have plenty of time for finding their feelings. But for now… Max snuggled his face into Michael's chest.

There was a knock on the door. "It's Emily, I don't care how much 'fun' you two had last night, if you don't get up now Oliver is going to put away breakfast and you won't get even a crumb!"

"Was it that obvious?" Max called through the door.

"From the noise you made last night it was obvious to anybody with half a brain. Michael you really are an idiot." And with that she was gone.

Max checked the clock. "Damn, 10:30 usually I'm up before this!" He rolled out of bed. His back and stomach hurt, and the nausea was still there, but other than that he was fine. The hurt was to be expected, Max thought, but why am I suddenly so ill? I couldn't be coming down with the flu could I?

"Shower?" Michael asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Max sighed. "Yeah, I suppose. But nothing really bad, okay? My back hurts."

The shower was quiet actually. Michael scrubbed his back and stomach. For some reason Max's skin felt very sensitive to Michael's touch. Well of course it would, Max mentally smacked himself, we're lovers now.

As soon as Michael had left the bathroom Max took his temperature. It was ninety-eight point four. No fever then, maybe even a little below the norm. Max sighed, and finished getting dressed.

They went down to breakfast together and Max plunked himself happily next to Michael. But the smell of the food made the nausea worse and Max picked at his meal where he usually would have eaten with gusto. "You okay Max?" Michael asked worriedly, having known his mate's eating habits.

Max nodded. "I just feel a little ill. It's probably just the twenty-four hour flu or something. But I took my temperature and I didn't have a fever." Max shrugged. "Somehow the smell of the food is making me feel a little woozy."

Michael chuckled. "Should I be getting you some chicken noodle soup or something?"

"I'm fine Michael, really."

They weren't the only late sleepers, for Sanguinax had been out most of the night at the Esbat monthly full moon festival. "Anything left?" He asked Oliver sleepily.

"Where were you all morning?"

"Sleeping, and I've got one nasty hangover from the drinking I did at the Esbat Monthly fest. So please don't get angry."

"What's an Esbat?" Asked Max, curiosity overtaking the nausea.

"Well, in demon culture and pagan religions there are two kinds of festivals, the Sabbats are the seasonal festivals and the Esbats are the festivals held on the full moon." Sanguinax yawned again. "Some of the demons or vampires who celebrated were up all night. As it is, Lupinex had his transformation last night and when I looked in on him he was out like a light. I pity the poor soul who tries to wake him up." The Vampire chuckled.

Max sighed. Then he pushed his plate away. "I'm full Michael, let's catch up with the others shall we?"

Sanguinax scrutinized Max carefully. "I thought you were hungry."

"He's not feeling well." Michael said defensively, something about the scrutiny the vampire was giving his mate made him uneasy.

"I see." The vampire, as always, kept his mouth shut. "Max, does Judy know that you're sleeping with Michael?"

"No, how did you find out and is it any of your business?" Max asked, annoyed.

"It may not be my business, but I did sense it." Sanguinax sighed. "I can sense alterations in people's auras. Sex transfers energy from one aura to another. I can sense Michael's energy inside you, that's how I could tell."

Michael scowled at him. "Come on Max, let's go." He really didn't have anything against Sanguinax, it was just that the look he was giving them was giving Michael the creeps.

Max sighed, pulled Draciel out of his pocket, and went to join his friends. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one who had slept with somebody that night, for when he got to the training ground Tyson was singing. _"I got the magic stick, I know I can hit once, I can hit twice. I was the baddest d- I know I taste like candy corn, late at night…"_ Mercifully, Rei took that moment to knock Tyson's blade out of the dish. Dragoon went tumbling midair, disappeared into his blade, and the flying beyblade hit Tyson in the head. "Ow! Rei that wasn't funny!"

The nekojin was cackling hysterically, Kenny was doubled over his laptop with laughter. Bryan rolled his eyes and scowled at Tyson. Even Kai cracked a smile. He wrapped an arm loosely, but possessively around Tyson's waist and smirked. "You should have been paying attention instead of rapping."

Max chuckled. "You and Kai have fun last night Tyson?" Max asked.

Tyson glomped him. "My dear compadre de Maxie, how does it feel to be L-A-I-D, LAID!"

"Does EVERYBODY know what Michael and I did last night?" Max demanded.

"Considering that you were loud enough to be heard through three different walls, pretty much." Tyson smirked.

"Of course Tyson," Kai smirked back, his breath tickling Tyson's ear. "You were louder."

More laughter. Max laughed so hard that he cried. Dizzi pulsed for a moment on Kenny's screen, laughing. "You guys are so funny you're going to make me blow a fuse or something!" Dizzi cackled.

Kenny wiped a tear from under his bangs and said. "Okay everybody, let's get down to business. Tyson you were using up too much torque, that, and the fact that you weren't paying attention, is why you lost. But Rei, if Tyson had been focused on the battle you would have lost hands down."

"So I got lucky then." Rei mused. "Hm… should I put that magnetic weight ring back in, the one you made for me when I lost Drigar to the Saint Shields?"

"That's a possibility. But I got something new for each of you." The other Blade Breakers gathered around, with Bryan and Michael each peeking over the other's shoulder. Kenny handed out a small, cyndrilical object clearly made to fit into a beyblade. "These are new, they're called Engine Gears. They speed up the torque of your beyblade for a limited period of the battle. The problem with them though, is that they use up aura energy like paper being thrown on a fire. So you should only use them in an emergency or in tournament play. I tried one of them out with Emily, and when I was finished I ended up feeling like I got hit by a bus. So be careful all of you." He warned.

Max examined his new engine gear. "Cool, this will speed up Draciel, check 'em out." He said, opening the blade and replacing the magna core that Kenny had made for him for the last world championship with the engine core. "Can I try this out on you Michael?" He asked hopefully.

"Sure, go ahead." Michael prepared to launch Trygle. Kenny took up the referee's position on the side of the dish.

"Three, two, one…"

"LET IT RIP!" The two combatants launched their blades.

At first it seemed that Michael had the advantage. But Max was hardly budging. Neither seemed to be able to get an advantage. "Okay, activate the engine gear!" Kenny called from the edge of the dish.

Max activated, and Draciel zipped off across the dish, clashing with Michael again and again. Sparks flew. Max felt the energy sapping from him. The spirit flame inside of him began to flutter. Max gasped as he felt his energy draining. No battle had ever given him this reaction. Was it just the gear? Panting, Max felt as though he'd run a mile. He had to finish this quickly.

Draciel keened worriedly into his mind. _It's okay, but the sooner I finish this the better friend, okay?_ The turtle bit beast let out a worried coo noise.

Max grinned, the fatigue showing on his face. "I've let this go on long enough, DRACIEEEEELLL!"

"You can do it Trygle!" Michael cheered his bit beast on.

Draciel began to shove Trygle towards the edge of the dish. The blades made a SKREEEEEEEEEEE noise and sparks flew, shoving Trygle to the edge of the dish. The increased torque was truly giving Max an advantage. But Max was dealing with two drains on his aura, the engine gear… and the odd little fire that had lit inside him after his evening with Michael.

The final burst of speed from the engine gear knocked Michael's blade from the ring, right about the time Max collapsed to his knees, panting. The dish was swooning in and out of his vision, in and out of focus. His energy was being drained! Why? Who was doing it? Max had just enough time to wonder before he passed out.


	13. MAX IS WHAT? or Max's unlucky chapter

**Blood and Tears**

By Nyassa Kaiba

Notes: I can't belive I'm actually writing an mPreg on Ty Kamara. Gods this is gonna be funny. Okay, here goes…

Disclaimer: I do not own beyblades, or any of the lyrics used in any chapter of this story. If I have made up some lyrics or poetry I will put a note at the beginning of the chapter telling you that I own it.

Warnings: yaoi, plain flat out yaoi, also mPreg. That stands for Male Pregnancy, Mr. Mom, that sort of thing. Trust me, it is wild, but if you can't take that sort of thing then get out right now.

That taken care of, on with the story…

**_Chapter 13- Max is WHAT? (or, Max's Unlucky Chapter)_**

Max stirred in the bunk in the Warren. "Where am I? What happened?"

"So you're awake." Cassie said with a gentle smile. "Hang on, I'll get Judy, you really should hear this from her, not me."

"Wait! Cassie I'm fine, I just ran out of energy, that's all!" Max protested. "It's not a problem!"

"Oh yes it is. I have been informed that beybladers do not run out of energy very quickly during a battle, even with experimental equipment." Cassie growled. "Now I'm going to get your mother. She's waiting outside with Michael, Bryan and the Blade Breakers." Cassie left and Max groaned, dreading to hear from his mother the tirade that would certainly come when she found out he'd slept with Michael.

But to Max's surprise, Judy was quite calm. "So…" She said thoughtfully, as though she were trying to find the words to speak.

"So what?" Max asked, worried. He could almost sense his mother's distress.

"Max, I heard you and Michael had… fun last night." Judy said coolly. "Care to tell me about it?"

Max's eyes widened. "I thought you'd be angry with me. Uh… Michael is… uh… my boyfriend."

Judy nodded, looking saddened. "I guessed. Max, you do know that male demons can have children right?"

Max's eyes widened slightly. "I thought it was just vampires."

"No, it's demons too." Judy was being suspiciously sedate. She reached out to push back the bangs from his head, affection, worry, not anger in her manner. This made it almost too hard for Max to bear. "When a demon goes into heat, has sex, and drinks their mate's blood they get pregnant."

Suddenly, Max had a flash, the night before, the urge to drink Michael's blood and only his blood. He remembered the taste of it in his mouth, the sense of utter satisfaction when it passed his lips. And he remembered the need, the total, all consuming need for sex. "You're not saying..." Max gasped as he remembered the tiny flame that had come into being inside of him the following morning.

Judy burst into tears. "Yes..." She said softly. "You are pregnant Max."

Max rocked back in the bed, like he'd been shocked. "How..."

Judy wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her suit. "You know how. You went into heat last night. I... I should have warned you sooner. I'm so sorry. It's my fault..."

"No, it's not your fault mom. I was planning to seduce Michael before... I... I guess it was just bad timing on my part... but I wanted him so bad..." Max had tears in his eyes. "Does, does Michael know?"

Judy nodded. "Cassie told him before you woke up. He was frantic about coming in to talk to you. I guess it shocked him."

"Shocked me too." Max seemed to deflate in the bed. "I... I can't believe it... but in a sense, I can. I feel it, somehow."

"It's called biofeedback." Judy replied. "A demon can sense when one of his friends are sick or, in your case, carrying."

"Is that why Sanguinax was glaring at me at breakfast?" Max asked. "He could sense it?"

"That may be why, I haven't talked to him since we left the Esbat last night. I'll have to take you to the next one."

"How long is the gestation for demons?" Max asked.

"For males, three weeks." Judy forced down a sob. Clearly she wasn't dealing with this well. But she was trying. The least Max could do was not panic.

Oh who was he kidding? He was pregnant for crying out loud! And the gestation was a fraction of that of a human, which was what he was used to, he ought to be panicking!

That was when the door slammed open and Michael came bursting in. Marco, who was getting a check up by Mai at the other end of the room, rolled his eyes. Michael ran over and wrapped his arms around Max. "You're okay! Cassie told me what was going on."

Max let out a mmph noise, as his face was pressed against Michael's jersey. "Michael, quit it, I'm not about to fall apart you know!"

Draciel slipped out of his blade right then, translucent, lumbered over to the edge of the bed and nuzzled Max posessively. "Eesh you two I'm only pregnant."

"ONLY?" Michael demanded. Draciel let out an indignant huff.

Marco rolled his eyes again. That was when Mai shook her head. "Sorry Marco, not this time."

"Damn!" The Vampire guard growled. "What's it gonna take Mai?"

"I don't know Marco. You might very well be sterile." Mai rolled her eyes. "Patience okay."

"Sorry." Marco sighed.

"Marco's been trying to have children." Cassie sighed from where she saw them stare. "So far he's had no luck, and he's not the only one. There are at least three demon couples who can't have children of their own in this warren alone."

Max thought for a moment. Was she trying to say that he was lucky? Lucky to be able to have children? But he was fifteen, sixteen now. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't exactly put a demon kid up for adoption. And he wasn't sure there was anything he could do in terms of abortion. Had the demons even heard of that? Max let out a soft grr noise. "Yeah, not fair, I know. You're kind of young." Cassie bent over the bed, clearly thinking. "Even though Michael's almost legal. You should probably consider fostering."

"Is that like adopting?"

"Sort of, only it's temporary. The demonic child in question is sent to live with a demon family who doesn't have any kids of their own until the parents are old enough or ready to deal with a kid." Cassie explained. "Some of the older demons do it too, if they don't have the time for raising children of their own." She explained. "Demon children grow fast, physically at least. They age physically to fifteen in the first three days, then they stop aging until they reach age fifteen. From there they age normally until they reach age twenty and stop or slow aging for awhile, depending on the species of demon." She chuckled at Max and Michael's dumbfounded expressions. "I can tell you didn't know this, just how much did you teach him Judy?"

"I haven't had the time. The PPB is supposed to be hosting this year's world championships. So I've been busy with the preparations." She sighed. "I will help you in any way that I can." She promised, leaning over to give Max a kiss on the forehead. "Be strong, okay Maxie?"

Max flushed. Then he gulped. "I'll try mom."

"MAX IS WHAT?" Was the collective uproar at that night's meeting. Max and Michael both cringed. Max's reaction (since he was in demon form) was for his hair to bristle and his ears to lay backward against his skull. His tail twitched as he snarled.

"It's true." Judy said with a sigh as she flopped back onto her chair. "I checked it myself."

Kai's face twitched. "So that's why he passed out?"

"Mom, I forgot to ask, but does that mean I can't beyblade?" Max gave his mother bambi eyes.

"Not with the engine gear." Judy replied. "And preferably not at all."

Max swore. "But what if Ozuma attacks again?" He asked worriedly. "The others would need me."

"I can't believe we're even having this conversation." Tala smacked a hand over his face.

Robert rolled his eyes. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Congrats Mr. Mom!" Enrique teased. Max snarled at him and Oliver gave his lover an elbow in the side. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For being totally insensitive!" He snapped.

Sanguinax was howling with laughter.

"What's so funny?" Demanded Tyson.

"I thought you would be the one to get knocked up." Sanguinax cackled. "Not the little one!"

"Gee, thanks." Tyson rolled his eyes.

Emily peered at Max curiously. "WHAT?" Max demanded, tail lashing angrily.

"You don't look like you could have a kid." She stated. "I would have thought that was a woman's job."

"Max isn't human." Dizzi pointed out. "Although I find this WAY too confusing. Max, a father? At his age?"

"Cassie's going to arrange for a fostering." Judy explained.

"Is that like… what… adoption?" Eddy asked, curiously.

"It's a temporary form of adoption." Judy told the gathered beybladers. "Until Max is old enough to care for children."

Max groaned, smacking a hand against his forehead. "I can't even believe I'm having this conversation."

Salima giggled. "I wonder what Mariam would think."

"If you tell her you are DEAD!" Max snapped.

"Jeesh, I was just joking."

"Demon gestation is three weeks?" Kai reiterated.

"Yes, so he won't be out of things for very long. But in his condition, even a minor battle using the engine gear could hurt." Judy explained. "The baby needs Max's aura energy to survive. If it's energy gets low it will sap Max's energy to survive. If Max's energy gets too low, he dies, period end of story. So no, no battles and no engine gear I don't care HOW behind he gets in his training." Judy had a finger dangerously close to Kai's nose.

Kai clearly looked like he was tempted to bite the finger off. To his credit, he sighed. "You heard the lady Max, you're out of things until that baby comes."

Max groaned again. "Oh alright."

Judy pulled Max into a hug. "It's gonna be okay Maxie. It's going to be alright."

From Max's point of view it was anything but alright. He remained agitated by the fuss until Michael came back to the room that they shared. When he finally came in after the captain's meeting, Michael's arms and loving eyes was all Max needed, as he welcomed his mate into his bed.


	14. Near tragedy

**Blood and Tears**

By Nyassa Kai's Clone/Nyassa Kaiba

**_Chapter 14- Near Tragedy_**

Cassie sat in her office with Tyson and Kai. It had been a week since his wings emerged and she wanted to give Tyson a check up. She thumped and bumped his wings and then his chest and took his pulse, the usual doctor things. "Hm… your wing bones haven't thickened enough. Didn't Tobias and I tell you to eat more calcium?"

"It would help if I knew what foods HAD calcium." Tyson growled.

"Milk, yogurt, cheese, green vegetables. It's not hard Tyson." Cassie said impatiently. "I would also suggest that you take these." She handed Tyson a bottle of some kind of vitamin. "Calcium supplements. One a day along with a changed diet ought to help."

Tyson nodded. The best part about being a vampire was that you got to fly. He didn't want that taken away from him because his wing bones weren't strong enough. "What about having kids?" Tyson asked.

"Don't you DARE get yourself knocked up!" Cassie cried. "You're WAY too young. Max got pregnant because of his ignorance. YOU know better. I'd expect better of you."

Tyson slouched. "Talk about a double standard."

"I know you're upset Tyson, but you'll have plenty of time to raise a family." Cassie said consolingly.

"Besides." Kai commented. "You'd be vulnerable, a target. Ozuma would attack you. Hell, he might even try to attack Max if he finds out. And…" Kai broke off with a sigh. "I… I don't want kids yet. I want it to be just you and me for awhile." He pulled Tyson into his arms, lovingly burying his face in Tyson's hair.

Tyson sighed. He wanted to have Kai's child, badly. It was a way of showing his love. But if Kai didn't want kids yet… "Kai…" Tyson sighed.

Cassie chuckled inwardly, _That would inhibit him more than anything I could say._

Unfortunately fate had other plans.

Tyson and Kai had barely walked up the drive to the house when Michael came staggering in off the grounds. He was bruised and beaten, with cuts and gashes here and there. His jersey was slashed up like ripped paper, his pants were bloody, indicating that he was injured far worse than he appeared. "Michael!" Tyson cried, running over.

Relieved, Michael collapsed. "Tyson, Saint Shields… attacked… Max… help him… the woods… edge of the grounds…." Then he blacked out, pale and shivering even in his unconsciousness.

"Kai! Go get the others! I'll keep an eye on Michael! Move it!" Tyson cried. The rage was building up.

Then, as Kai pelted into the house, a thought occurred to Tyson. Some flash of memory. Michael pale under his tan and trembling? Tyson turned Michael onto his back and turned his head to one side. There he saw it, the bite marks. Ozuma had fed off of Michael. Or had the Saint Shield done…. Something more? Tyson couldn't even bring himself to think what that 'something more' might be. But he knew, deep in his heart he knew what had happened.

Everybody came pelting out of the house. Robert was yapping orders. "Sanguinax, go get Cassie, fly for it! Oliver grab that first aid kit. Everybody else, form a staggered line. We're looking for Max and possibly traces of a beybattle. Judy, stay here and tend to Michael. The three of you." He nodded to the All Starz. "Stay with your captain. Everybody else let's MOVE MOVE MOVE!"

Oliver and Judy knelt by Tyson's side. "Judy… I think… I think Ozuma might have turned Michael."

Judy took Michael's pulse. "His pulse is erratic. Ozuma gorged himself at the very least. We won't know until Michael wakes up and tells us."

"Blood loss?" Emily was trembling. It was one thing to attack the Blade Breakers, they, at least, were involved with the Saint Shields. But to attack an innocent bystander?

"Yes." Judy shivered. "And I can sense an altering in his aura. If he survives the blood loss he'll be turned. I'm sorry Tyson." Tyson had tears in his eyes.

"It's not fair! It's not fair! He attacks an innocent because he's angry with me! It's not fair!" Tyson burst into tears. He had nobody to comfort him, because Kai and Rei had gone to look for Max.

Oliver was bandaging up the cuts and gashes. He put a tourniquet on the worst gash on Michael's arm.

Cassie and Sanguinax came swooping in for a landing, along with Tobias at least three other Demon Medics. "I came as soon as I heard. My Gods! Could his turning be any more violent?" Cassie cried when she had a look at his wounds.

None of the All Starz had a dry eye. Emily snuggled against Eddy's chest and burst into tears.

Meanwhile Kai and Rei had found the remains of a gruesome beybattle. The earth was scorched where Flash Leopard had burned away the grass. Traces of blood and fluids showed on the ground. They followed it to… "OH MY GOD!" Rei cried as he rushed over to where Max was lying on the ground. His gashes were even worse than Michael's and there was an awful bruise on the side of his face.

Kai rushed over. He didn't 'click' well with Max, but that was no excuse not to be concerned. He wished he could sense aura. If Max were hurt bad enough it might have killed the child he was carrying. "Oh Gods…" _Kami-sama, if you can hear me… Goddess… Please…_ Kai begged to the heavens.

Rei was calling everybody over. Kai turned Max's head gently to the side, then the other. There was a nasty bruise on his neck, and bite marks, but not the ones associated with feeding and turning.

Max moaned, eyes fluttering open. "Kai…" Max sobbed softly. "Michael, he… he…"

"Shh… don't talk." Kai said softly.

"No… no I gotta… Ozuma… he… he was ready to rape, to turn me… Michael offered himself in my place… Gods Kai it was awful…" Max said softly, weakly.

Kai stroked the demon's hair gently. "Oh Max."

Robert had arrived, with the other teams. He heard every word. "Ozuma shall not get away with this." He said with a growl. "To attack another beyblader, to take his virtue and almost his life… no… he shall die for this."

"NO!" Max cried weakly. "That's what he wants! Ozuma WANTS to die! And if you kill him… that's exactly what… he…" Max blacked out again.

Cassie and Tobias came over carrying a stretcher. "It's almost night. We can risk flying back to the Warren." Cassie said as she, Reivan, and a dragon demon in a journeywoman's uniform lifted Max into the rescue harness. "Tobias has already brought Michael in."

"Good." Kai growled. "We'll be there as soon as we can."

"Man, this looks gruesome." The dragon demon commented. "Poor Max." She stroked his hair gently before hefting the carry strap around her neck.

Cassie was strapping Max into the rescue harness. "Tobias, take the first aid kit. Shinneth, we lift in three… two." Wings opened with the sound of a sail furling. "ONE!" Cassie and the demon sprang into the air, struggling to carry the stretcher between them. Kai ran ahead. There was a spot of blood on the place where Michael had collapsed.

"Is Max gonna be alright?" Tyson asked, snuggling into Kai's arms, begging him for solace.

"He's fine, as far as I can tell he'll be alright. Cassie took him to the Warren. We're leaving now." He took Tyson's hand and lead him back down the driveway.

"Hang on." Emily said, a small smile quirking her lips.

A Cadillac Escalade pulled up. The window rolled down to reveal Judy sitting in the driver's seat. "Tyson, Kai, Rei, Kenny, Hillary, get in. I'll drive you."

"Did Max tell you what happened?" Tyson asked as he and Kai settled down into the seat behind Judy and Emily, (who was riding shotgun.)

"As far as I can tell," Kai said softly… "From what Max told me, Ozuma was ready to rape AND turn him. Michael offered himself to Ozuma in Max's place. 'Zuma took the bait and raped and turned Michael instead. And… when I found the battle site, there were scorch marks, blood, AND… fluids."

"Oh gods." Emily gasped. Tyson felt overcome with rage. But the littlest All Star was consumed with grief. Tyson's wings twitched under his skin with his rage and anguish.

Judy shivered. "Then that's it? Is Max alright?"

"He was battered, bruised, and he was cut up worse than Michael was. Cassie took him to the warren." Tyson was feeling hungry again. If he could get the chance he'd find a quiet corner with Kai and feed. He needed the energy after what happened.

"But he survived?" Judy asked, her back was to them as she drove, so Tyson couldn't see her expression.

Kenny shivered. "How much you want to bet that in Ozuma's freezer there are 6 vials of vampire blood with our names on them?"

"I hope not." Rei shuddered.

"Ozuma wants revenge. He's angry at Kouji for turning him, even if it was an accident. If I'm right, he won't stop until his rage is spent, like… like a wildfire or a tsunami." Kai pulled Tyson into his arms.

Hillary shook her head. "We've got to stop him before he hurts anymore people! Can't he understand that life is a GIFT, not a curse!"

"A man convinced against his will, is of his own opinion still." Dizzi quoted.

"Dizzi's right." Rei said sadly. "Ozuma has to figure that out on his own. My greatest worry is that, in his anguish, Ozuma will end up destroying himself. Maybe get caught, or hurt, maybe even killed. He may be a scumbag but the Saint Shields NEED him. He's… he's the tie that binds them together. Without a leader, they'd go off in every which way."

"Rei's right." Judy said sadly. "But gods, if he kills Max OR Michael I'm going to make him regret it. I won't kill him, but I'll make him wish he was dead."

"He already does wish he was dead." Hillary pointed out. "That's the problem Miss Judy."

"Here here here! Stop here!" Tyson pointed to the place where the warren was hidden.

They got out and Tyson counted the bricks, pushing on the one that would let them into the now familiar pitway.

"Man it's dark in here." Emily commented as the gate closed behind them.

"Right, follow the wall and don't trip on the heat orbs." Tyson focused on the heat sight that all vampires possessed. Sure enough he saw the hidden orbs on the ground, glowing with the heat of the magic they'd been given. "Ready everybody?"

They started off down the tunnel. So that they could keep track of him Tyson talked almost constantly, encouraging the others to follow him. Emily stubbed her toes on a couple of the orbs. She knelt down to touch one. "It's warm."

"Vampires have the ability to see heat in total darkness." Explained Tyson. "So I can see the orbs and I know where to walk."

"Cool." Emily commented as she edged around the offending orb. "I wish I knew the technology behind it."

"They draw power from the earth itself." Explained Judy. There was a slight glow in the darkness as she transformed into her youko form. "Much better. And I smell the lounge up ahead. We're almost there."

Tyson rapped stoutly on the door. The slot at the top opened. "Oh, there you are." Marco was on watch. "Cassie told me to let you in." The door opened onto the lounge. It was empty at this time of day. But Tyson knew that soon it would be filled with demons and vampires hanging out to have a drink or two after a day of work, and younger vampires and demon children eager for a beybattle. If he were in the mood for a battle Tyson would have offered to join them, but Max and Michael were more important.

He ran down the corridor, turning left, right, another left, until he came to the door with a glittering sign of Mercury on it, overlaid on a purple caduceus. "Here we are." Tyson opened the door.

Mai was waiting for them. "There you are. Judy, Max is in really bad shape. He needs an aura transfusion or he is going to die. Shinneth is doing her best to support him, but he needs the energy of a youko, and Shin is a ryuujin."

Judy nodded. "Where's your temple. I know how it's done but I need to strengthen my darma, and the blessings of the Goddess wouldn't hurt either."

"Wait a minute, what does this mean?" Emily asked, not following the unfamiliar terms.

"The way you need blood Em, a demon needs aura energy. If a demon or vampire loses too much energy he or she dies. It's possible to transfer energy from one demon to another, but unless it's the energy of the same species of demon, preferably a relative, their body rejects the energy given them, the way a human rejects the wrong organ in a transplant."

Mai lead them to the temple. "I'll be your medium Judy, but we need to hurry." Mai grabbed a set of incense from a shelf along with four glowing purple crystals.

"Should we come too?" Hillary asked worriedly.

"No, keep an eye on Max." Mai told her. "Cassie's in charge of the teams stitching him and Michael up, but she wants to talk to you. She told me to intercept Judy and be quick." She and Judy whirled on their heals and ran.

Tyson soundlessly approached Max's bed. The dragon demon that he'd seen earlier was perched on a chair next to his bed, meditating. She looked about nineteen, had tiny, stubby horns, and her blue wings were folded to her back. A point midway between her horns was glowing with power. An identical point on Max's forehead was glowing. Suddenly both points stopped glowing and the demon stood up. "That's good for about an hour." She sighed, wiping sweat from her forehead. "You can come in now. Cassie's already stitched the worst of the wounds."

"Um… hi." Tyson said nervously. "Didn't I see you earlier?"

"Yup, I helped carry Max in. I'm Shinneth, journeywoman healer, although soon I'll be a master. Which is good because the Warren needs another Master." She stood, gave a wave. "I'll be back when Judy's ready for the ceremony. Michael is almost out of surgery if you want to talk to him."

"Thanks." Tyson said glumly. He sighed, taking the vacated seat. "This is all my fault."

"What makes you think that?" Kai asked, sitting in Tyson's lap.

Tyson let out an oomph, before saying. "Mariam tried to warn us." He wrapped his arms around Kai's waist, burying his face in Kai's hair. And Tyson did something he rarely did, ever, he cried. He had rarely allowed himself to cry after his mother died. "I didn't listen. I thought that Ozuma would target me, like he did the last couple of times. Did he really think that either Max or Michael would have killed him?"

"I don't think they would, but Ozuma knows Max more than he does Michael. Michael was an innocent bystander who got in over his head."

"You think?" Tyson asked, with bitter sarcasm.

Max began to moan in his sleep… "No… don't go… please! Take… take my energy… don't go!"

Kai and Tyson looked at each other. "Oh no. Remember what Judy said when Max tried to battle using the engine gear? That baby is draining Max's energy." Tyson shuddered.

"That must be why Judy's going to give him some of hers." Kai said, with macabre fascination. "Oh why won't they hurry up?"

Tyson kissed the back of Kai's neck, nipping him gently with his fangs. "Before they come back…" He said shyly. "I need to feed, after all the excitement."

Kai sighed, he got up. Tyson got up. They switched places. Tyson straddled Kai's waist, looping an arm around Kai's shoulders for balance. With the other, Tyson nipped at Kai's neck, searching for the vein that would provide the life giving blood and energy. Finding the correct vessel, Tyson slipped his fangs into Kai's neck. Kai hissed softly, both at the contact and the intimacy of two mates feeding. Tyson couldn't get a good angle, so he deftly loosened Kai's scarf, getting in under his collar. Kai turned his head so that Tyson could get at him more easily.

After about five minutes Tyson was sated. Both of them kept an eye on Max, worried.

A half an hour passed, and finally Judy and Mai arrived. Judy was positively radiant. Tyson realized that what he was seeing was her aura, glowing, shimmering with power. "I'm ready." Rei slipped into the room behind them. "Michael's out of surgery, just thought you'd want to know." He told the other two Blade Breakers. "Kenny and Hillary are keeping an eye on him for me."

Judy closed her eyes, taking Mai's hand. All the energy that she'd absorbed flowed into their clasped fists. Mai took it inside of her, until her whole body glowed white with power. She pointed to a spot on the top of Max's head, leaving a tracing of the silvery energy there. Then she pressed two fingers to the spot between his fore head, another at his throat, a third at his heart. The fourth point was about near his diaphragm and the fifth was near his stomach. For the final energy center she pointed between his legs and a point at the base of Max's spine began to glow. Then all six points of light began to glow in colored discs, like the rainbow. The colors shone from gold at the top of Max's head to red at the base of his spine.

Then the glow faded. Max moaned, his eyes fluttering open. "Huh… mom? But… where's Michael, is he?"

"He's alright Max, he just got out of surgery." Judy said gently.

"WHAT? I gotta be with him!" Max struggled to rise. "Please, help me up!"

"Stay down! You need to rest!" Judy protested.

"I NEED to be with my mate!" Max snapped, with a belligerence that caused his mother to pull back.

"Of course." Judy said demurely.

"Here." Shinneth came forward with a wheelchair. "Mai, help me get him in." Between the two healers they managed to get Max into the wheelchair and brought him to the recovery room.

The nurses had sedated Michael, Cassie had thought it would be kinder that way. He was lying pale against the bed, propped up by pillows. Even in his sleep tears fell from his eyes. Max let out a strangled, desperate animal cry and climbed into the bed with him, resting his head on his mate's chest, stroking his cheeks, dabbing at the tears. The All Starz captain murmured something in his sleep. "Shhh." Max said gently, finally resting his head in the hollow of his mate's neck.

After about fifteen minutes of this carrying on, Shinneth reached to put Max back in the wheelchair. Max snarled, snapping at her, demon fangs bared. "Alright already, fine!" The journeywoman withdrew. "Just don't blame me if he freaks out when he wakes up."

"Tyson, Kai, Rei, Kenny, Hillary, we have rooms for you tonight." Ethe said, coming forward. "Come on, there's nothing you can do for them now."

Tyson looked back at his friend, the first of the Blade Breakers he'd met and still easily his best friend. The look on Max's face was so sad, his manner so protective, that it made his throat choke over.

"Come on Tyson, that's enough for tonight." Kai said, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "There's nothing you can do for them tonight."


End file.
